1891 Norway Census

The 1891 Census

The 1891 Census was held on January 1st and registered information for just over 2 million individuals residing in Norway at the time. Rather than listing people per household, forms were filled out for each individual, resulting in an extremely comprehensive census. The information on animal husbandry and seeding was listed on separate forms, which were lost in a fire in 1939.

The parish was now replaced by the municipality as the counting district in rural areas. In other aspects, the procedures and system remained the same as for previous censuses. New questions introduced in the 1891 census included the familial ties between spouses, as well as the language used in the more diverse areas of the country. In the towns, respondents had to indicate the number of rooms per residential building. Occupations were also requested and there was also an extra field for the occupation of the primary breadwinner in the household.

This Collection

Users may find the following details for individuals found in the census (where available):

• Name
• Gender
• Relation to Head
• Marital Status
• Kinship with Husband
• Birth Date
• Birth Place
• Mental Illness
• Residence
• Nationality
• Language