Migration reaches another record high – Statistics New Zealand

Annual net migration in the June 2017 year reached a new record high of 72,300, Stats NZ said today. Migrant arrivals were a record 131,400 and migrant departures were 59,100.

Compared with the year ended June 2016, net migration rose by 3,200.

“Annual net migration has been steadily increasing since late 2012 when we had more departures than arrivals,” population statistics senior manager Peter Dolan said. “Over the past three years, annual net migration has been consistently hitting record levels due to an increasing number of non-New Zealand citizen arrivals.”

In the June 2017 year, net migration was mainly driven by non-New Zealand citizens, who provided New Zealand with a net gain of 73,600 migrants. Migration of New Zealand citizens saw a net loss of 1,300 migrants.

Of the 33,500 departures of New Zealand citizens in the June 2017 year, 61 percent went to Australia.

The biggest increases in net migration for the June 2017 year were from the United Kingdom (up 2,600) and South Africa (up 1,800). India saw the largest fall in net migration gain, down to 7,400 in the June 2017 year from 12,100 in the June 2016 year. This fall mainly reflected fewer student visa arrivals from India.

Short-term travellers or migrants?

International migration statistics rely on the information provided on passenger cards at the time of travel. The reported intended length of stay in New Zealand, or intended time away from New Zealand, largely determines whether the passenger is a short-term traveller or a migrant. Generally, visitor arrivals and resident departures are those intending to stay or be away for less than one year; migrants are those intending to stay or be away for more than one year.