New Zealand reports record exodus, driving down net immigration

More than half of all citizen departures were to Australia in search of better paying jobs, official figures show

A record number of people left New Zealand in the year through March, reducing the net gain through immigration to the lowest in more than two years.

Some 123,256 people departed the country in the period, including 70,000 New Zealand citizens, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday in Wellington. There were 149,607 migrant arrivals, resulting in a net increase of 26,351 people, the lowest annual reading since December 2022.

Net immigration has been steadily declining from a peak of more than 135,000 in late 2023 as the economy slows, curbing hiring and wage inflation. Many citizens have opted to look overseas — particularly to Australia — for better paying jobs while foreign workers are increasingly reluctant to head to the country when work is scarce.

Migrant arrivals were 28 per cent lower than in the year through March 2024.

About 59 per cent of all citizen departures were to Australia, the statistics agency said, citing data for the year ended September that is the most recent available.

Revisions showed a net immigration gain of 84,230 in the three months through February, down from the 96,570 previously estimated.

The agency said data from the past four months was subject to revision because it was not known if travellers are migrants or tourists.