Migration records continue to be set with the number of Kiwis leaving hitting a new high of 74,900.
This is up on the previous record set in 2012 of 72,400 and is the highest-ever net loss of New Zealand citizens.
The overall migration numbers also remain high with a record number of people arriving and leaving. In the year to February, 253,200 people arrived in New Zealand, while 122,300 left.
This compares to the long-term average for February of 118,000 arrivals and 91,600 departures.
Net migration, the difference between arrivals and departures, sits at 130,900, down from the peak last November of 142,200.
Citizens of India were the largest group to arrive at 50,800 followed by people from the Philippines, China and returning Kiwis.
The net migration figure of 130,900 for February 24 compares with 84,100 a year ago and is also above the long-term average for February in the pre-COVID years (2002-2019) of 47,600.
