External Migration: June 2000

External Migration: June 2000

Six Million Arrivals and Departures

During the June 2000 year over 6 million travellers crossed New Zealand borders, a new milestone in international passenger movements. According to Statistics New Zealand there were 3.003 million arrivals and 3.000 million departures. Overseas residents accounted for three-fifths of these movements while the remaining two-fifths were New Zealanders.

In the last 15 years arrivals and departures have increased by four million, reflecting rapid growth in international tourism. By comparison, there were just 102,000 arrivals and departures in 1951. It took 23 years to reach the first million mark in 1974 and another 11 years to reach two million. Since 1985 the average annual growth rate has been 7.5 per cent, or about one million every three to four years.

In the month of June 2000 there were 97,520 overseas visitor arrivals, up 9,810 or 11 per cent on June last year. This is a record high for the month of June, surpassing the previous high recorded in 1996. There were more visitors from Australia (up 2,810), Northern America (2,550), Asia (up 2,200) and Europe (up 1,460).

For the year ended June 2000, there were 1.693 million visitor arrivals, an increase of 154,000 or 10 per cent on the June 1999 year. Australia (up 41,560), our largest source of visitors made the largest contribution to this increase, followed by Korea (up 29,620), the United States (up 25,060) and the United Kingdom (up 20,530).

In June 2000 New Zealand residents left for 126,060 short-term overseas trips, 1,000 or 1 per cent fewer than in the same month last year. There were more departures to Australia (up 4,940), but fewer departures to Fiji (down 8,440). This 80 per cent drop in departures to Fiji was due to the effect of the recent political crisis.

Permanent and long-term departures exceeded arrivals by 1,500 in June 2000. This compares with losses of 780 and 810 in June 1998 and 1999. There were net losses to Australia (2,020) and the United Kingdom (540), but a net gain from China (300). For the year ended June 2000 there was a net loss of 9,760 permanent and long-term migrants, down 1,610 on last year's loss of 11,370.

Dianne Macaskill ACTING GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN END

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