Attitudes towards immigrants in Norway became somewhat less positive in 2026, according to Statistics Norway's annual survey – the third year of decline in a row. A majority of Norwegians remain positive, but more people think it should be harder for refugees and asylum seekers to obtain residence.

Attitudes towards immigrants 2026: a third year of decline

On 23 June 2026, Statistics Norway (SSB) published its annual survey "Attitudes towards immigrants and immigration" (report 2026/25). The overall picture is that attitudes towards immigrants are generally somewhat less positive than the year before. This is the third year in a row that the survey shows such a decline, after positive attitudes peaked in 2023.

SSB largely explains the 2023 peak by the sympathy for refugees from Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The fact that the share of positive responses is now falling for the third year running is partly a normalisation after that period.

The survey was carried out between 5 January and 13 February 2026 and is part of SSB's interview surveys. The questions have been asked in roughly the same way all the way back to 2002, which makes it possible to follow the development over a long period.

The majority is still positive

Even though the arrows point slightly downwards, it is important to stress that a majority of the population still hold positive attitudes towards immigrants:

  • 72 percent completely or somewhat agree that immigrants enrich cultural life in Norway (35% completely agree, 37% somewhat agree). In 2025, 39 percent completely agreed.
  • 78 percent think most immigrants make a useful contribution to working life (33% completely agree, 45% somewhat agree), down from 41 percent who completely agreed the year before.
  • Only 22 percent think most immigrants are a source of insecurity in society, a slight increase from the year before.
  • Around 20 percent think most immigrants misuse the welfare schemes – also a small increase.

That immigrants contribute to working life is consistent with other statistics from SSB and NAV. Four in ten refugees went straight into work in 2025, and labour participation among immigrants has risen over time.

What do people think about refugees and asylum seekers?

The clearest shift in this year's survey concerns views on asylum policy. 32 percent now think it should become harder for refugees and asylum seekers to obtain residence in Norway. That is a clear increase from 24 percent in 2025.

From 2002 to 2023 this share fell steadily – fewer and fewer wanted a stricter line. Over the past two years the trend has reversed, and the level is now on a par with what you have to go back to the mid-2010s to find. The shift in opinion happens at the same time as the authorities are tightening up on several fronts, including the proposal to change the citizenship act in 2026 and a broad review of labour immigration policy.

For Ukrainians on collective protection the picture is mixed: support was highest when the war was new, while everyday life is now more about the transition from temporary protection to work and integration.

More contact with immigrants than before

One feature that points the opposite way of the scepticism is contact. The share that has contact with immigrants keeps rising. In 2026 around 87 percent report contact with immigrants in at least one arena – at work, among friends and acquaintances, or in the neighbourhood. Most have contact daily or weekly, and a large majority describe their experiences as mostly positive.

SSB's own figures point in the same direction: those who have the most contact with immigrants generally hold more positive attitudes. More contact is therefore linked to less fear – a point that also recurs when fear meets facts in child welfare cases.

Who is most positive? Gender, age and education

Attitudes vary between groups, but are more positive than negative in every group:

  • Women are generally more positive than men.
  • Students are the most positive, while pensioners and benefit recipients are the least positive.
  • Level of education produces the clearest differences: the higher the education, the more positive the attitudes.
  • Age differences are less marked in 2026 than in previous years.

What do the numbers mean?

The big picture is twofold. On the one hand, the Norwegian majority is still clearly positive about immigrants contributing to working life and cultural life, and contact is increasing. On the other hand, positive attitudes have fallen three years in a row, and views on asylum and refugee policy have become noticeably stricter.

If you are new to Norway, it is worth remembering that the survey measures attitudes in the majority population – not rules or rights. The rules for residence, work and citizenship are decided by the Storting, the UDI and other authorities, regardless of swings in public opinion.

The figures in this story are taken from SSB's official statistics as of 23 June 2026.