There are more migrants arriving in New Zealand than leaving, according to official statistics. But more New Zealand citizens are leaving than coming home.
New Zealand's annual net migration in the past year was 66,000, Statistics New Zealand said in a statement on Friday. Migrant arrivals were 130,200 and migrant departures were 64,000.
However, population insights senior manager Brooke Theyers says migrant departures have actually increased to the highest they have been since May 2014 - and many of them are New Zealand citizens.
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Migrant departures to Asia have increased by 33 percent in the past year to 12,400, according to Statistics NZ. The largest increases were to China and India.
The number of non-New Zealand citizen migrant departures has increased by 22 percent in the past year to 30,500. But the number of New Zealand citizen migrant departures hasn't changed much from a year earlier, with a higher 33,400 leaving in the past year.
New Zealand citizens contributed to just over half of migrant departures and more left the country than returned, with a net loss of 1400 people. This mean the annual net gain in migrants is due to non-New Zealand citizens.
Newshub.
