Annual Net Migration Dips Below 69,000

New Zealand saw a net gain of 68,900 migrants in the year ended February 2018, with 131,000 migrant arrivals and 62,000 migrant departures, Stats NZ said today.

“This is the first time since May 2016 that annual net migration has been below 69,000,” population insights senior manager Peter Dolan said. “Although annual net migration is slowing, it still remains high by historical standards.”

Annual net migration reached a record high of 72,400 in the July 2017 year, but has continued to slow since then.

The lower annual net migration was mainly caused by an increase in non-New Zealand citizen migrant departures. There were 29,100 departures of non-New Zealanders in the February 2018 year, up 1.5 percent from the January 2018 year and up 22 percent from the February 2017 year.

All migrant departures to Asia increased by 31 percent in the February 2018 year to 11,700. Nearly two-thirds of migrant departures to Asia were to China, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

Overall there was a net gain of 30,500 migrants from Asia in the February 2018 year.

In the February 2018 year, more New Zealand citizens left the country than returned, with a net loss of 800 people.

International migration statistics rely on the information provided on passenger cards at the time of travel. The reported length of intended stay in New Zealand, or time away from New Zealand, determines whether the passenger is a visitor 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 one year or more.

ENDS

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