External Migration: November 2004

External Migration: November 2004 - 20 December 2004 Visitor Arrivals Up 4 Percent

There were 220,600 short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand in November 2004, an increase of 8,900 (4 percent) on November 2003, according to Statistics New Zealand. In November 2004, there were more visitors from Australia (up 4,000 or 7 percent), China (up 2,500 or 37 percent), Japan (up 2,100 or 12 percent) and the United States (up 1,500 or 7 percent) than in November 2003.

The number of stay days for all visitor arrivals in November 2004 was down 4 percent on November 2003, from 4.65 million days to 4.47 million days. The average length of stay was 20 days in November 2004, compared with 22 days in November 2003. In the year ended November 2004, there were 2.332 million visitor arrivals, up 257,300 (12 percent) on the November 2003 year. There were more visitors from Australia (up 153,300), the United Kingdom (up 23,300), China (up 19,600), Japan (up 14,700) and the United States (up 10,400) compared with the year ended November 2003. Seasonally adjusted monthly visitor arrivals fell 2 percent in November 2004, following a fall of less than 1 percent in October 2004.

New Zealand residents departed on 148,500 short-term overseas trips in November 2004, an increase of 15,800 (12 percent) on November 2003. There were more trips to Australia (up 3,000 or 4 percent), Fiji (up 2,300 or 50 percent), India (up 1,100 or 42 percent) and China (up 900 or 9 percent).

In the year ended November 2004, New Zealand resident short-term departures numbered 1.707 million, up 26 percent on the 1.350 million in the year ended November 2003.

Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 1,600 in November 2004, compared with 2,200 in November 2003. The decrease in November 2004 resulted from 500 fewer PLT arrivals and 200 more PLT departures. Non-New Zealand citizen arrivals decreased by 300, while New Zealand citizen departures increased by 200. The seasonally adjusted series recorded a net PLT inflow of 600 in November 2004, down from 1,000 in October 2004.

In the year ended November 2004, there was a net PLT migration gain of 16,300, down 56 percent on the net inflow of 36,800 people in the previous November year. This resulted from 80,900 PLT arrivals (down 12,500), and 64,500 PLT departures (up 7,900) in the November 2004 year. Compared with the November 2003 year, non-New Zealand citizen arrivals were down 10,300 and non-New Zealand citizen departures were up 3,600.

There were 2,300 fewer New Zealand citizen arrivals and 4,300 more New Zealand citizen departures. In the year ended November 2004, there was a net PLT inflow of 9,200 from the United Kingdom, down 8 percent on the November 2003 year figure of 10,000. There was also a net inflow from China of 3,000, down from 11,700. Overall, net PLT inflow from Asia has reduced considerably, from 25,000 in the November 2003 year to 10,400 in the November 2004 year. There was a net outflow to Australia of 14,100 in the November 2004 year. Brian Pink

Government Statistician

ENDS

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