Migration added 30,592 people to New Zealand's population in the 12 months to the end of November last year, or approximately 2500 a month, according to the latest migration estimates from Statistics NZ.
That was made up of 158,425 people who arrived long-term, and 127,833 who departed long-term, giving the net gain of 30,592.
The long-term arrivals comprised 24,983 NZ citizens returning after an extended stay overseas, and 133,442 citizens of other countries.
The long-term departures comprised 72,936 NZ citizens leaving long-term, and 54,897 citizens of other countries.
That meant there was a net loss 47,953 NZ citizens in the 12 months to end of November, and a net gain of 78,545 citizens of other countries, leaving the overall gain of 30,592.
Stats NZ said the 127,833 people who left NZ long-term in the 12 months to November was provisionally the highest number of long-term departures ever recorded in any 12 month period.
Analysed by citizenship, Indian citizens made up the biggest number of long-term arrivals at 28,541, followed by 24,983 returning NZ citizens, 16,025 citizens from China, 15,826 from the Philippines, 5913 from Sri Lanka, 5503 from Fiji, 5454 from the UK and 4738 from South Africa.
The chart below shows the month-by-month trend in net long-term migration.
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Net long term migration
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98 Comments
The great Pop Swap.
The great replacement is just a far-right conspiracy theory.
White supremacy isn't a problem in NZ.
I noticed a huge number of Indians in various parts of the Coro over the break. Large families, multiple cars. Many laughing and goofing around, it was nice to see.
They do the work we don't want to because we have worthless degree's and it's all beneath us now, or we're on welfare. I've seen it first hand. Home nursing, uber driving, hospitality. It is what it is, and it's not just NZ.
It's a standard of living arbitrage, they arrive and improve their standard of living, Kiwi's go to Oz and improve their standard of living.
That's just the first generation. Soon you'll be doing the work their children cant be bothered doing, and you'll be doing it for a pittance.
What do you think our economy would be like if they weren't here, there would be chaos.
More export dollars per capita, lower total imports. Lower wages due to lower land demand/prices = more internationally competitive (without any hit to quality of life - still live in the same houses but with more space. Less time spent in traffic in the major centres. We could export just as much with 3 million population and some prioritisation of the labour market towards exporting instead of making each other coffees.
I didn't notice any more chaos when our population was 3 million. Did you?
If you are thinking of the chaos on the leveraged spreadsheets? Maybe some yes, but it will pass, and things will be repriced while the productive parts of the economy still exported. NZ really should be first mover on lower pop while other nations are trading relatively freely. If you want chaos, consider what NZ would be like if we couldn't trade with lower vs higher populations. NZ history might have some insights.
I believe we would have been far richer, happier and healthier too. Check out films from the fifties, sixties, even seventies of NZ life. It probably wouldn't have been allowed.
Yeah, maybe for pakeha Zach. I'm not advocating open borders, in fact far from it. There is a certain irony here btw,
Archives NZ
Meet NZ (1949) ~40 minutes
A survey of present-day [1949] New Zealand - its people, scenery, industries, communications, sports and social services.
This film is split in to four parts:
00:00 Opening
00:25 The Shape of the Land
09:00 Industry and Transport
17:30 Sport
26:37 People
41:33 End
https://youtu.be/6fhTN6hxfqk?feature=shared
Good luck, you'll find they exclusively hire there own.
Why hire a kiwi, when you can get someone to pay you for a work visa to come work for you.
You're worried about them not hiring Kiwi's for work we already don't want to do? Checks out.
True that. What was I thinking. Never mind, hopefully there will still be Australia to escape to. Even if Dutton cans the citizenship path, we can always claim refugee status.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/indian-workers-claim-they-were-made-to-wo…
Agreed, they do tend to stick to their own.
just like us 🤔
improve their standard of living
Agree. But at what cost to those that remain in NZ is the real question?
I'll get you started, accepting a smaller share of available recourses and infrastructure (the estimated benefit being in the 100'000's of dollars comes out of those that are already here's share). Businesses that don't want to train locals. Wages for 'easy' jobs that are lower than the work would otherwise demand was paid (hint, I'll drive a bus or clean toilets for $100 per hour - it's not the work is below us, it's the pay has not been allowed to follow normal supply and demand). Your home ''nursing' care example, I did that much of last year for an Uncle (for free). The work isn't beneath me at all (I have a degree and diploma from Otago Uni), but I'm not interested in doing it as a job for $23 or whatever they pay per hour without the x hundred k bonus a non-resident/citizen is in line to receive.
Take residence visas out of the equation and then you'll be much closer to comparing apples with apples when putting down the local work ethic.
Yes. Business owners complain they "can't find staff willing to do the work" not because of a shortage of locals but because no one is willing to do everything for the minimum that they're wanting to pay. So they cry to the government to open the immigration floodgates so they can have access unlimited cheap labour.
They are not even willing to train our own young people.
You need to read the article, second largest group coming home of 24,983 returning NZ citizens. Doesn't always work out for Kiwi's in Australia or elsewhere that the grass appears greener, until it isn't.
Who are they though? Recent retirees who dont qualify for Australian super returning back to NZ to spend time with the grandkids before heading back to Australia when they've spent all their money? People who have gotten sick and cant work, and dont qualify for benefits over there? Single parents who don't qualify for parenting benefits? Children who are moving back here to study and get a student loan?
I wouldnt assume that all those coming back are productive workers, when they may just be more people here to drain the system.
Exactly. Anecdotally I know of a few couples, close to retirement, heading back to NZ so they can obtain the pension, after having been living in Australia for the past 20 odd years. Having contributed little to the NZ tax base, they are now expecting the young to supplement their retirement.
It would be prudent to educate yourself about the social security arrangements between New Zealand and Australia.
Who do we always have so comments about Indians in NZ, anc the work they do. They've been here for 100 years, they are from all walks of oife, are in all sorts of professions. Many came via Fiji after being royally f'ed over by the British... so what.
Around my place there are a heap of Pacific Island people, many of whom don't work at all, hardly ever leave the house years on end. So what... well.. there is actually plenty of work recession notwithstanding.
The grass is always greener, until you find that it's actually mostly burnt and full of spiders
My partner and I would earn an extra $150k in Australia in the same roles, life would be easier.
I can put $2M into super and it will all be CGT and income tax free when I turn 60. Show me where I can do that in NZ?
It must be my birthday:
- 'Breakfast briefing: The bond market doesn't like what it sees'
- ‘2025 could be the mother of all buyers' markets for residential real estate'
- 'Record number of people left NZ in the 12 months to November'
... mine , too ... • At the Labour Party conference Chris Hipkins has announced that 2025 will be a great year for Labour ... they're coming back , strap yourselves in .... woo hooooo , a return to the good old days of 2017-2023 ...
Free pixy dust & unicorns for everyone ...but , more for Maori & Islanders ...
No mention of the Coalition Gummy...doing a splendid job?
You really are a racist prick
What brings you enjoyment in the last one?
Who says " A record number of New Zealand citizens left the country, that's great news!" how sad...
Young people are leaving, and it’s honestly sad. But can you blame them? All that's here is low pay and multigenerational living. Meanwhile, the spruikers seem determined to turn the whole country into some version of Gloriavale.
It must be my birthday:
- 'Record number of people left NZ in the 12 months to November'
So why are you happy about it? or does it just fit in your failing country, failing economy grim narrative?
"The problem – your problem – is that any country can turn into a 1970s Rhodesia. Or a Russia in the ’20s, Germany in the ’30s, China in the ’40s, Cuba in the ’50s, the Congo in the ’60s, Vietnam in the ’70s, Afghanistan in the ’80s, Bosnia in the ’90s. These are just examples off the top of my head. Only a fool tries to survive by acting like a vegetable, staying rooted to one place, when the political and economic climate changes for the worse. When the going gets tough, the mentally tough go elsewhere." - Doug Casey
Economies fail. Obviously our economy isn't that bad but if ours decides to fail, I don’t expect the young people to bail us out. The ones that are leaving have better opportunities.
Is that the same Doug Casey who said "You've got to be a speculator today"?
Ironically he also invested in NZ property while it was cheap.
You didn't answer the question as to why this scenario makes you happy?
Also the majority of those countries you mentioned were in major wars around those times, russia, Cuba, Germany,Afghanistan.
Tell me when was the last major military war in NZ? lol, Great example 🤣
The ones that are leaving have better opportunities. I'm happy for them. Australia and US economies are strong.
NZ isn't the be-all and end-all.
We are Kiwis living in QLD. Was offered 76k in Wgtn Hospital, offered double that in Brissie. No brainier. The damage done from the 6th Labour Government has been compounded by the Coalition. Poor leadership.
I'm happy for them.
Bollocks, your happy because it fits your DGM argument.
Not enough people in NZ to fill the empty Housing......Chinese style overbuild NZ.....looks somewhat like it.
for someone so negative on the NZ housing you seem overly concerned with it, every comment you make is about it.
When Geckos are hungry, they gravitate towards light, to catch flies.
In absence of light, try to start a fire.
House prices coming down isn’t a negative, less financial strain and better affordability is a win.
.. yes ... a strong & cohesive society needs affordable housing ... and our current house prices are still massively overpriced ...
agree, a fall of 50% would be though.
Is that what you fear?
Many people in the country would suffer, i do understand that's what some people here want.
Nobody was forced to pay 2021 prices. Those who bought at the peak believed their property was worth that amount. The market will set the price, and it could end up closer to 2017, 2015, or 1979.
You need to work on comprehension.. net gain of +30K people.
Hey Mr Pmt,
You are fully aware the 30k third world new workers here, are happy and love living 15x to an Auckland 3 beddy.
Too many dog box houses and not enough indentured working slaves.......
Rip Nz house prices.
No, they are happy to temporarily live 15 to a 3 beddy, then they get established and they too want a 3 beddy to a single generation.
That’s becoming a problem because of the huge repayments… that inflates rent, that creates unavailability even when these many houses are vacant,
what is happening is not different from the landlords of old era, currently the landlords are the investors of banking shares , the investors behind the scene, the people working in banking sector, the elite govt positions who gets paid hugely. And all these collected mortgages on ocr variations pays the elite class well
Unless a dramatic change in the trend occurs, we can expect close to zero population growth in 2025.
Give it a decade and every kiwi will have left for Australia, and been backfilled by an uber driver.
Good thing society is just like Age of Empires - each 'villager' is exactly the same as the next, right?
This is the keystone of the progressive world view.
Everyone gets a trophy!
And if you suck, it's not your fault and you can't (or shouldn't) do anything about it.
Nope, in our modern society anyone who is poor, brown, or of alternate gender, gets bonus points and special rights. And cheap music festival tickets.
You have been manipulated by oligarchs, politicians and grifters to hate those who have the least power in society.
It is done in order to enrich the wealthy and grifters, and distract people from their further conglomeration of wealth by changing the rules, taking more and giving less in return.
Let me guess they can even sit next to you on the bus KH...the horror?
Thumbs up just for mentioning AOE!
My productivity hack is I listen to an endless loop of the AOE2 soundtrack. And I'm not even kidding.
Excellent, alas, Age of Kings / Conquers Expansion could only ever have been accused of killing my productivity...
I miss a good strategy game, AOE, SC and C&C!
Customs PAX data for 2024 was ~ +7,000 (considerable margin of error on my calc though, I just used the thousands in my head).
https://www.customs.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/statistics/oia-respo…
Soon there will be no New Zealanders left here, except those on benefits and in gangs. Might have to start giving away citizenship to immigrants in order to drum up some house buyers.
Don't worry, I heard Nicola Willis is going to open up immigration.
Can't believe Nact's transformation of NZ is taking so long to pay off. They have tried firing a whole lot of public servants, neglecting the infrastructure/capital projects and borrowing for tax cuts for the wealthy. Must be because of Labour, or the woke that everyone is voting with their feet.
To be fair I was calling him "One term Luxon" about a year ago. It was obvious to me that National had no clue how they would solve any of the issues they where inheriting and since than they've accumulated a few more.
Bishop was the only one who came out swinging but seems to have lost momentum now.
Maybe the rapid implementation of change going on in the US at the moment will give him some ideas. I think NZ politicians are just too scared to do anything radical that will upset the small but very noisy self interested groups.
110% correct, let's not upset the radicals!
Why would they increase immigration if unemployment is 4.8% and rising?
Businesses want to cut their wage bills even deeper and the cheapest way to get there is to replace local workers with a virtually unending inflow of low-skilled migrants.
My mum worked in hospo in the 2000s for a few years when Dad was away in Singapore setting up his new business. She paid the bills and mortgage repayments without too much trouble working 45-hr weeks as a duty manager at a hotel.
The going rate for the same job today is typically a $3-to-6 above minimum wage, thanks to the flood of Indian migrants coming here each year to work in hospitality. That rate is barely enough to look after oneself let alone maintain a family and mortgage on it.
Most migrants use it as a stepping stone to gain residency and then move on to better things. Rinse and repeat for businesses!
Might have to start giving away citizenship to immigrants
No need to stress just yet KW, they're still willing to buy jobs/residence in good numbers at this stage. We are such exceptional people that so many foreigners want to come here...
But you're right, we should be prepared for the inevitable from Nat/Lab and I don't blame them as it's the easiest way to self-preserve (big change is too risky to them). Why small parties (looking at you TOP) cannot put forward a logical alternative to growing our population and credit via selling land for ever increasing amounts I don't understand. Also Māori, Green and NZF although they have something to lose (current seats in the house) I guess.
Why small parties (looking at you TOP) cannot put forward a logical alternative to growing our population and credit via selling land for ever increasing amounts I don't understand.
Maybe they have tried but the media aren't listening? Much cheaper and easier to regurgitate overseas content and supplement it with cuddly pet stories than have some alternative political viewpoints.
I agree in that I think the media are extremely unhelpful. They don't even try to challenge what is said by the incumbent politicians, business advocates or anyone really (in particular their downstream consequences). Where were they advocating for the young that weren't at much risk during covid times? Where are they when yet another business says it can't find staff? Even this website, the value add is almost exclusively in the comment section, most articles go unread by me unless it's by the likes of Keith Woodford. I'd love to be able to donate based on article or comment (with int.co taking a cut for facilitating).
Media aside, I don't think TOP (I vote for them) have focused themselves on a logical policy offering. For example, last election they were trying to sell affordable housing yet had no immigration/population policy. To me it's illogical not to tackle both supply and demand if you're serious about housing affordability. In TOP's case I would also add they haven't made it easy by entertaining too many policy areas (to the point it's hard to know what they actually stand for).
.
The good news is that Bunnings will now have three staff per customer, up from two the previous year.
New Zealand: Australia's airport lounge.
So much noise about needing higher paid salarys etc. Much easier to reduce the housing market. Land tax.....for all.
... excellent point ... if house prices weren't so insanely high , if they were truly affordable , then our rentals & mortgage repayments would be much lower too ... effectively more money left in our wallets after all weekly expenses ...
By joves , Dr Watson , I think we've solved it !
The weight of debt based Aussie bank profit invades every single corner of every business and house hold in NZ, regardless of whether you have a mortgage or not. Nurses, police, doctors, teachers and the goods and services they use everyday probably do. Wage pressure and inflation on everything wages touch.
#wageandpricespiral
Blimmin heck it’s no wonder everyone is leaving if we’re all this gloomy (comments above).
We still have all the same good things that enabled NZ to be the little country that could - fantastic climate, massive oceans, fertile land and no shortage of resources - either natural or human - we just seem to have forgotten that how we put them together is up to us - half our problem is that we’re perennially ‘waiting for a saviour’ in politics and assume that if we get one our problems are solved.
They won’t be. We collectively make up NZ - not just those in Welly.
Culture has become our problem - it determines what we expect from our lawmakers and ourselves and how we live up to that (ps not talking race relations). We don’t value education like we once did and that is a massive issue also.
We're in a recession and the All Blacks are losing. Thus there is officially nothing left to live for.
The Warriors will return to the 8 - just wait.
I think you will find most are leaving because they want to be paid more and be then able to save some money for things such as their first home. I personally know several young professionals who have gone to London. The jobs are more stimulating and the salaries are better. I know it is expensive to live in London but they are saying they are still better off than in NZ. Then there is the close travel opportunities.
This is why it is a great place to retire
I don’t know where you live but until recently we have generally had a terrible summer, especially Christchurch and Wellington. Incomes in NZ are terrible for the majority. How they survive continually surprises me. Our education, roading and medical services are under strain. Inflation has been huge until recently and our housing quality is average at best. I can easily see why so many have left. My wife and I and our children luckily don’t need to leave. I am part of the lucky generation.
Landgirl,
Not everyone here is so gloomy, interest forums for some reason attracts a large percentage of them.
NZ is a great place to be, which i believe is why people came here in the first place, and will continue to do when they are sick of living in the desert.
People don't come to NZ for our economy, our education, our healthcare, they come for our nature, our beaches and mountains.
You are dreaming. They come here because they are generally poor. They see us as an opportunity to get ahead. Would you like to be poor in India, China and the Philippines? Meantime our young are leaving to get ahead.
i disagree, sure a portion come as a gateway to Australia, but they will leave. the second highest category of migrants is nz citizens.
i should add also our relaxed lifestyle.
i don't see on here, because they are generally poor....
They probably come here because they couldnt get in to the USA, UK, Canada, or Australia.
That meant there was a net loss 47,953 NZ citizens in the 12 months to end of November, and a net gain of 78,545 citizens of other countries
Vote of confidence in the current govt, yeah, nah...
The things that turn me off about NZ have nothing to do with the central Govt, although I'd be leaving a lot quicker if Labour were still in power. The problems are now cultural and structural, not electoral.
Please hurry..the place will be better without you...
Last one to leave, please turn off the lights.
I keep repeating this every time there is an immigration article. The chart needs to show in and out, not just net. Ordinary New Zealanders are being replaced with serfs from the countries with low standards on NZ's road to neofeudalism.
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