Bergen is a city that is located in Norway. It is the second-largest city in the country by population. Its total population as recorded in 2016 was 280,216.
Area Size and Population Density
The population is spread across the city’s total area of close to 180 square miles (roughly 465 square kilometers) on the Bergenshalvoyen peninsula. The larger metro area has a population of approximately 420,000 people and claims 2,755 square kilometers in total. The city was once the capital of Norway and was also the largest city by population until it was surpassed by the current capital, Oslo, in the 1800s. Population density in the city is at 602.6 people per square kilometer, and in the metro area as a whole, the density drops to 152.4 people per square kilometer.
Demographics of Bergen
The majority of the population were born in Norway and makeup over 84% of the total population. However, many residents were originally born all across the globe. The city had a total population of over 38,000 residents who originated from outside of Norway according to data from 2013. This includes people from Poland, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam, Germany, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. There are people from 180 countries that currently reside in Bergen. Most of the people – 96% of the total population -- in Bergen live in urban areas.
The city has a large population of younger residents, with almost one-quarter being under the age of 17, while just 4.5% were 80 years old or older.
Almost 80% of the population belong to the Church of Norway, although thousands of other residents are registered as Muslims, Catholics, Hindus, and other religions.
Population Growth
The city throughout the years has seen steady growth. From 1550 to the late 1700s, the population exploded from a mere 5,000 residents to well over 18,000. The population reached 104,000 in 1910, and by 1970 had grown to over 200,000 individuals residing in its borders. The strong appeal to immigrants as well as serving as an international center for technology, shipping, tourism, and finance will contribute to further growth in the future.