News
Migration to NZ highest for six years
Recently released figures show many more people arrived in New Zealand permanently or on a long term basis than left the country in January, with a net inflow of 1,100 Brits arriving.
The number of people moving to NZ on a long term or permanently basis exceeded the number of departures by 2,500 in January, which was the highest net gain for a January month since 2004.
The increase was driven by 1,700, or 30 percent, fewer permanent and long term (PLT) departures to Australia, compared to January 2009, Statistics New Zealand said.
The net migration gain for New Zealand for the year to January 2010 was 22,600, up from 4,500 in the 12 months to January 2009, and the highest annual net migration total since the year to May 2004. This was due to fewer departures, with the 64,400 departures down 20,200 or 24 percent from the January 2009 year.
ANZ economist Mark Smith commented that immigration figures were "helping stabilise the [weakening Kiwi] housing market and boost labour supply. As yet the stronger Australian economy is not attracting more kiwis across the Tasman."
However Smith added that "A turnaround in departures remains a key risk going forward. However, there is still a large buffer and it will take a material turn-around in departures to turn strong net migration inflows around."
In addition to New Zealand welcoming record numbers of migrants for the month of January, the first month of 2010 also saw a record number (for January) of overseas visitors arriving for short term visits. Statistics New Zealand revealed 256,700 visitors arrived in January, up 5 per cent from a year earlier, and beating the previous January record of 253,500 (in 2008).
In fact, for eight of the past 10 months NZ visitor arrivals have risen, compared with the same months a year earlier, proving that New Zealand remains a destination of choice for many world travelers. It also stands to reason that as more Brits visit NZ for the first time, there will be a steady or increasing inflow of migrants from the UK in the coming years – such is the enduring attraction of Aotearoa.
06 July 2010