Emigrants in the Historical Population Register of Norway

Both the completed transcription of our emigration protocols and the construction of the Norwegian national Historical Population Register, among other developments, make an article about methods for studying emigration from Norway through the last couple of centuries topical. This article starts by discussing the Norwegian and American sources through which we can identify the emigrants’ absence from Norway. In particular, it focuses attention on groups that are difficult to follow because of international migration, and the consequences this has for emigration statistics. A key issue for further research is the degree to which emigration and return migration are reflected in the population registry.