Religiosity and Home Ownership among Muslims in Norway

Owning one’s home is both a norm and a political objective in Norway. Three out of four people in Norway live in owner-occupied dwellings. But only half of immigrants do so. The reason lies partly in immigrants’ financial and employment situations, as both these factors will determine whether they can obtain a mortgage. But among Muslims, there may also be another reason: unavailability of mortgages that are compliant with Islamic law. In this policy brief, we investigate the extent to which this lack in fact explains why home ownership is not more widespread among immigrants.