Influx of 238,964 migrants arrived in New Zealand in the year to March and a record net loss of NZ citizens.
See article from Interest below:
By Gregg Ninness
New Zealand’s net population gain from migration surged to a new record over the March year, reaching levels more than double what it was pre-Covid.
Statistics NZ estimates migration added a net gain of 111,145 people to NZ’s population in the 12 months to March this year, compared to a net gain of 49,684 in the 12 months to March 2019 and 50,932 in the 12 months to March 2018.
The net gain came from an estimated 238,964 long term arrivals, and an estimated 127,818 long term departures from NZ.
The long term arrivals where overwhelmingly non-NZ citizens, with 213,213 arriving in the year to March, while just 25,750 NZ citizens arrived back in the country after an extended stay overseas.
Long term departures from NZ were more mixed, with 78,246 NZ citizens departing long term in the year to March, compared to 49,572 non-NZ citizens.
That meant there was a net loss of 52,496 NZ citizens in the March year, and a net gain of 163,641 citizens of other countries.
“This is the first time the annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens has exceeded 50,000,” Statistics NZ population indicators manager Tahseen Islam said.
The previous record loss of NZ citizens was 44,400 in the year to February 2012.
The main source countries for overseas citizens migrating to NZ were India, the Philippines, China and Fiji.
The table below shows the net monthly and annual migration gains or losses since 2001.
