More people continue to leave New Zealand on a permanent or long-term basis than are arriving long-term, leading to a loss of population from migration, according to the latest Statistics NZ figures.
Last year 45,912 migrants arrived in this country and 49,827 departed, leaving an annual net loss of 3915.
Population growth from migration has now been in negative territory in every 12 month period since the year to March 2021.
The net migration loss of 3915 last year compares to a net gain of 36,849 in 2020 and a net gain of 72,588 in 2019.
Although there was a net gain of NZ citizens last year, that was more than outweighed by the number of non-NZ citizens who departed these shores.
In 2021, 22,706 NZ citizens arrived back long-term after an extended stay overseas, while another 17,942 departed long-term.
That left a net gain of 4764 NZ citizens for the year.
However although 23,206 non-NZ citizens arrived long-term last year, another 31,885 departed long-term, leaving a net loss of 8679 non-NZ citizens for the year.
The biggest loss of non-NZ citizens was to China, with a net loss of 2921 Chinese citizens in 2021.
That was followed by India -1718 and the UK -1063.
"Ups and downs in net migration are a feature of New Zealand's history and we have had periods of net migration losses in the past, most recently in 2010 to 2012," Statistics NZ population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.
"Since the net migration loss in 2012, New Zealand gained 400,000 people through net migration over the next eight years, an average gain of 50,000 per year.
"The net loss in 2021 is relatively small by comparison."
The interactive charts below show the long-term migration trends.
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Net long term migration
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109 Comments
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Great - 3 million to go and we're down to sustainable levels.
Then the other 2 million would die of boredom.
Dying of boredom is probably one the reasons why they are already leaving.
.. that is what Pol Pot said.
It's not a net loss losing people who have no real connection to these shaky isles and simply moved here for generous healthcare and welfare entitlements. NZ stands alone in offering generous National Superannuation payments to foreigners on a resident visa. Many of whom have been here for the minimum 5 years since they were 55 years old, and waited out their 10 year residency period whilst living off their $2 million term deposits and getting free healthcare in their advancing years.
It's a net benefit to have those leeches leave.
why would they leave?!
What evidence do you have that those people are leaving?
Exactly. Sounds obvious that those "freeloaders" have more of a reason to stick around than the talented kind.
I myself would be on the first flight to Perth or Brisbane had I not bought a house back in 2018.
You could still do it... rent it out ... be a gold star service provider to the community
I would if I didn't love my job. An unpopular opinion - I spent a couple of years contracting in Eindhoven; despite its celebrated knowledge hub status, I enjoy working in Wellington's tech sector a lot more.
Such a shame local and national governments haven't done their bit of supporting the success of tech in NZ with basic housing and infrastructure.
While I understand different people's comfort zones, and the close proximity, I always find it funny with all the possible options why Aussie is just the default.
If I'm going to live overseas, I don't just want to do it in order to do the same thing just with a better p & l ratio.
Oh yeah but they have Ikea and Aldi, so good
Probably a visa thing too.
True. Plenty of Kiwis used to head to the UK for their available 2-years before 27 and end up staying their much longer because they got good work and could live and grow well.
Other places are more work than just booking a plane ticket I guess.
Eh. Incredible generalisation. Anything to back this up? And why would these people milking your system be leaving? And who's possibly living off a term deposit anymore?
Wife and I came here back in 2014 as young skilled 20-somethings just to see the world a bit. We've paid over half a million in tax collectively in that time. You didn't pay a cent towards my up bringing or education. I wonder how many cents I've paid towards your retirement?
As I mention yesterday, we'll be one of those leaving. Along with my other early 30s friends in a similar position. I suspect you won't be losing the people milking the system, but you'll be losing those contributing but getting nothing back.
I too celebrate lower immigration numbers (I'm for quality over quantity). But if you want to find the leech in your society, try looking a bit closer to home.
Agreed. The overwhelming majority of those who have immigrated to NZ I’ve met have been hard working and great people.
My problem with our immigration policy has always been the mismatch in the volume of immigration when compared to our lagging infrastructure growth. It’s also been the use of relatively low skilled works to keep down wages for businesses that refuse to invest to improve productivity.
There may be a small minority gaming the system and I’m sure some rules could use a tweak, but it’s sad to try and paint everyone with this brush
I agree. The sheer majority of migrants are good people but we have a skill mismatch situation going on here, which even some government bodies have acknowledged.
Moreover, the pre-Covid migration numbers largely favoured sectors that can't pave the way to a prosperous future for NZ.
At some point, we need to bring down migration to a small number of talented individuals or risk endangering our living standards even further.
Yes.
It's nothing to do with the immigrants themselves on an individual level, it's everything to do with the sheer quantum that have been admitted.
If the two of you paid over $0.5m in income tax in 7 years then you have been paid well above average and presumably if your employers weren't crazy, you are worth it. You will have helped NZ become a better place both by your work and by your taxes.
The gripes made against excessive immigration by myself and others on this site are against low paid immigrants who are effectively importing 3rd world wages and conditions and making NZ a tougher place for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
But it isn't the low paid immigrants who are importing 3rd world wages and conditions it is the NZ government (the same people who won over the electorate with promises of ever rising house prices). Low paid immigrants are just looking for an opportunity to improve the lives of themselves and their families. They cant be blamed. Try directing your energy at those actually responsible.
But it isn't the low paid immigrants who are importing 3rd world wages and conditions it is the NZ government (the same people who won over the electorate with promises of ever rising house prices). Low paid immigrants are just looking for an opportunity to improve the lives of themselves and their families. They cant be blamed. Try directing your energy at those actually responsible.
Immigrants as cheap labor are exploited by the govt, other recent migrants from countries such as India and China, and existing citizens whose presence in NZ is multigenerational.
Spot on. Don’t blame people who are just trying to improve their lot in life.
Blame the businesses that lobby for low wage immigration or who won’t invest in training up people here. Blame the governments who use immigration create short term nominal growth, and ignore and underfund our infrastructure deficit
place the blame where it is most deserved
My apologies for failing to express myself properly. My family are visible immigrants. You are right - all blame is with the NZ govt for lack of a clear and debated policy and MBIE for inept bureaucracy. There are few labour inspectors and those employers who are found to be exploiting naive and desperate immigrants are rarely given a sufficiently deterrent punishment. Do not blame the immigrant.
Fair play mate + well put. Though I am afraid there are some here who do indeed wrongly blame the immigrant.
What evidence do you have that its the "older" generations of "leeches" leaving? The only foreigners I know that are leaving or have already left are the younger hard working, decently paid professions. I expect many young kiwis are doing the same. Actually I was surprised to hear yesterday that my kiwi boomer neighbors are planning to move to the UK. They probably want to sell their overpriced house while they still can and get a better one in the UK for half the price. I hope they wont be too much of a leech on the NHS.
...one thing we do very well is encourage and produce our own ones - but unfortunately they are staying put.
Another reason why we need a balance of LVT and income tax. Makes no sense at all to penalise productive hard work and reward sitting on land and not contributing to society's services.
The hard working is leaving the country.
It's an indicator where the economy is heading.
If only we can deport one for one the lazy at the same time to balance burden on the country.
Compliments? Valentine's Day was yesterday.
Surprised you haven't been quicker to leave though Brock :)
They are often leaving because leeches like you have pushed house prices to obscene levels.
If only the hard working could realise the dream owning their own house in a location where there is lots of work.
But the dynamics of debt based housing speculation has destroyed that for many. After doing the math, young productive kiwis simply head west. After finding it better that they ever though, most never look back. The amount of doctors, nurses, IT workers and tradie's etc that NZ has invested 13 years of free schooling and medical care, and respective trade training in is simply a fantastic outcome for Aussie economy. Aussie is laughing all the way to their positive tax outcome with no training, medical or education costs. In fairness Aussie is doing their best to balance the numbers via deporting Aussie trained hardened criminals back to NZ on a regular basis.
Thanks CWBW and the like. IMO you your mates have been significant contributors to this outcome.
Talking about Crims, here's one that's probably just back.
I wonder if we get the privilege to see him on our local TV doing the same stunt here- might be good evening entertainment.
As a Jr Doctor and an ICU nurse couple, we felt almost guilty on our plan to move to Brissy by June. The wait time at the ER is currently around 4-6 hours, it will not get better anytime soon with the amount of people I know in the industry doing the same thing.
My family hear you - it's going to be last man standing in A&E soon. Lack of staff, poor salary, overworked, no breaks and abuse by public.
One of the family is now self isolating at home due to a contact - but has to come to work in full gear!
Meanwhile the ordinary public servant seems to get a paid holiday.
Go figure why they are leaving huh!
I see on the news nurses in NSW are striking for better pay, staffing and conditions. The Aussie recruiters will be active over here asap to shore things up.
Oh come on - by the end of the year we will have Tesla Bots doing brain surgery. Good riddance to human doctors and nurses wanting hours off every single day.
Good luck. The environment in the healthcare sector is toxic. Fully understand your decision.
When a doctor and an ICU nurse can't build a viable life in NZ because of the greed of our property investors and their politicians we as a country are in dire straits indeed.
lolz. Like my partner says, when the same property investor lying on bed wondering why no one is paying attention to their pain because of poor staffing, they just need to remember they were the one who drove the people who would have cared for them away.
Bloody awful. I for one hugely appreciate the work people like you do, people like you are the true stars of NZ, not mega rich property leeches / spruikers!
But you are the ones being pushed out.
It's a friggin tragedy, and it's going to come back to bite this country on the bum massively. But collectively it's what we deserve.
The middle class in NZ are being hollowed out, and what we are developing is a widening gulf between rich and poor.
Slow hand claps for NZ and our leadership over the last 20 years.....clap clap clap
It will be worse this year. My family knows several tradesmen and professionals who are off to Australia or Europe. There is nothing here for them. Us greedy boomers have certainly put housing out of reach for many of them unless they are stupid enough to borrow well over $500,000.
If your family friends are tradies and havent been crushing it in recent years, moving location won't change much for them.
They are relatively young people who work for older contractors. To a person they are brave enough to shift overseas where incomes are higher and houses are cheaper relative to incomes. NZ is no longer the utopia. Was it ever?
Better hurry if aiming to live in Australia.
If Aus Labor get into power in May the first thing they will do is lockdown their cities, close the border and overextend govt mandates just like NZ Labour.
Watching too much Facebook?
A lot of them have left to never return.
Reason: Crazy house price & skyrocketing inflation.
We were a bloody expensive country even before this wave of inflation.
There's still plenty of room for upward inflation. Be quick!
Hehe
So migration numbers are tracking the right way at last.
Thanks to covid. No thanks to any government initiative.
Only 3900.. That's a shame.
Should be 390k for us to be sustainable.
The immigration should only start once the government of the day has made plans for the ones coming in to have a house to live.
Stop getting people in when you don't have your house in order.
Intelligent people do not invite guests to stay over night unless they have extra rooms and beds in the house.
We are short ourselves and we want to invite others to live here. This is madness which needs to be sorted.
A fulfilled election promise, who would have thought.
Migrants (the majority of) aren't the issue, it's the successive governments who've not kept infrastructure up, and cost of housing and living down for even the skilled migrants who would be fairly well paid.
I'm sure many have come to NZ and just been shocked by the high cost of living, housing and the inadequate state of infrastructure that seems stuck in the 1990s. Six years to complete a stretch of motorway? 16 years to get approval for a new tunnel?
Yes, other countries may have cheap labour but they also don't waste (time, money, resources), which is why they get the same thing done faster and on budget or only slightly over.
Something doesn't smell right here... It just boggles the mind that NZ can be called the least corrupt country in the world when projects stall, go over budget and take forever to finish (for apparently no reason).
It is because our corruption operates differently.
In Romania/India/South Africa/Brazil it is more a standard definition of corruption. I hand over some cash/booze/consumer good, and what was going against me, now goes for me. Some places may cost more per person, or involve more people but inherently cash based.
In NZ the corruption is more a incideous form of nepotism, it is all done in secret and with no "transaction". I help you, you help me. Which due to our relative size and "friendliness", is very hard to measure and/or prove, and is a lot trickier to navigate for out of town/region/country people.
In NZ the question is not "how much will that cost" it is "Who do you know works at ..."
Write to the MP/Journo here, no chance. Know the MP/Journo and look what magic you can work.
Government could always undertake another rubber stamping exercise to boost the housing market again. We always need low skilled labour to suppress local working class wages.
Remember a few years ago when we had a housing shortage of between 60-80k houses. We are pretty much out of that now, having build most of that during COVID while losing people.
Now, thanks to Government incompetence, those young people who moved here for a better life are leaving, this trickle is likely to become a flood. Excessive house/rent prices and high cost of living being the main drivers as to why they are leaving. Many young people I know are off overseas due to these factors once borders open, most to Aus, many to UK/US/Canada.
We may have a perfect storm brewing of declining population, increasing cost of living/inflation/interest rates finally bringing down the housing bubble. Will be interesting to see if the government throws open the immigration doors, relying on our COVID reputation to bring in a new flood of high skill (or low wage?) immigrants to try and prop up the housing market.
I would guess that’s the plan.
So that's the equivalent of buildimg what 1500 houses without spending anything on new infrastructure to support them either. It's all a cunning plan...
It's Housing, Housing, Housing Cost for the talented leaving. My neice's Auckland Uni PhD scored her Kiwi job offers but went to NASA (where she's earning kudos) knowing they could never afford a house here, unwilling to become a mortgage slave (she's very smart). Just bought one over there. Tragic for the country to lose such talent.
Houston, we have a ....
Which tells you something. If someone talented enough to work at NASA has no chance of ever buying a house in NZ, they either aren't being paid enough as a skilled worker or housing costs are waaaaay over the top. I would suggest it's a little of the former and (like you) almost completely the latter.
Its sad but increasingly the only incentive for young kiwis at school/uni to do well is the chance they might get offered a career and a future abroad.
The greed that keeps our regulators and bureaucrats propping our obscene housing costs up will turn us into the Philippines of the South Pacific, in that regard.
That's such a strange analogy.
"Switzerland of the South Pacific"...etc.
Many, many Filipinos study and work hard with the intent of moving overseas to build a better life. That's why so many studied nursing, for example. A couple of years of local experience and they could migrate. So too many ICT workers, accountants etc.
No it's not.
Does NZ have a NASA equivalent? This country has no job vacancies for rocket scientists since it doesn't have rocket labs.
Can you connect the dots?
It isn't housing cost more than an underachieving economy that hasn't provided the income.
She would had probably fared better with a nail gun or a hammer than to waste her time doing her PhD.
Not sure if I'm just feeding the troll here, but we do have the rocket lab called ... Rocket Lab ...
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/448687/rocket-lab-to-launch-new-zea…
Never feed the troll.
And I imagine the skills and knowledge involved in being accepted into NASA, or any space agency, would be highly adaptable and valued at most skilled workplaces.
Maybe some people just can't dream big.
Yes, her PhD is in mathematics, applicable to many areas. BTW rocket science is just Newton's Laws. Rocket engineering is the challenge.
Maybe he just doesn't like things going to the moon that aren't house prices.
Did you read my comments carefully.
The word 'labs' is in plural.
So weak.
Yes, I just thought that one was particularly ironic to point out.
"When he arrived here four years ago he and his wife started a directory of the companies and projects in the industry here. Eventually they listed 240 of them, but it wasn’t easy to do."
"The industry here is worth $1.75 billion according to a Deloitte report commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – those figures relate to 2018 – 2019 and it’s only been growing since then. It employs about 5,000 people and another 7,000 in support services. "
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018800194/new-zealan…
We really shouldn't do ourselves down - NZ is punching above its weight here and it should be celebrated.
cringe
My god.
There is literally a company here called RocketLabs who literally has rocket engineering jobs. Out of touch much?
Seems you wish every young person here could become a builder, to build you more houses so you can rent them out to them in a never ending cycle of enriching yourself from the work of poorer people.
One and only start up. How many can it hire?
Spend an extra 4 to 8 years of your life just to compete for 1 or 2 available job vacancies in the entire country.
Obviously fail to plan ahead and over invested.
"That will take Rocket Lab’s total number of staff to more than 1100, of whom spokeswoman Morgan Bailey confirmed 525 were currently based in New Zealand."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/127276549/most-rocket-lab-staff-set-to…
Pretty good odds. There's about 70 people in the country qualified for my job, for example.
Nah she'd never get in there. She's only good enough for NASA...
Nah just pick up a hammer and nail things instead mate.
/s
Finally some logic from you.
If she's good for NASA, why didn't she get a job at NZ rocket lab?
Media vibes, the number of jobs claimed available don't exist.
If she's good for NASA, why didn't she get a job at NZ rocket lab?
HOUSE PRICES!!!
Holy shit.
We're going around in circles like a rocket lab satellite orbiting the earth.
He's gotta be trolling, nobody can be this dumb.
Or maybe they can, tall poppy syndrome for any industry that isn't real estate?
Hopefully it's just an act. If he can't admit this kind of minor error, imagine if house prices do fall and he has to come to terms with being wrong about that too.
It CAN'T be house prices. Let's compare:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4106-Pebblebrook-Ct-Orlando-FL-32820…
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/19316-Osborne-St-Orlando-FL-32833/20…
or
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/property/residential/sale/auckland/papakura…
Both similar travel times from where you would work. Tough choice, note that the NZ one is at least USD $90k more.
Irrelevant, she works from home.
My god man, there are currently 73 vacancies and many more coming online as their neutron rocket production ramps up: https://www.seek.co.nz/Rocket-Lab-jobs/at-this-company
Again, why don't you just admit you screwed up? Beyond you huh?
Used to get pi**ed off reading your trash but now I just laugh as that's all you're comments are worth. You are such an out of touch old fool....but like others have said at least you're our fool 🤡🤡🎪🎪
Fun to play with :)
Arrogance on full display, could never possibly admit to being wrong.
Yeah but Rocket Labs uses 1995 carbon fibre connections from Auckland to launch paper mache into LEO
I dreamed of building a launch site at Mahia 30 years ago when i was a kid but i just don't think boutique model rocketry has a future
Space X is going bust. It's a matter of time for our little amateur rocket experiment sees the same.
Well, all you "specuvestors" out there - where are those "hordes" of these overseas people that are champing at the bit to live in Aotearoa and snap up your now unwanted 4th rental property - a damp, oppressed ex state "sh*tbox" in that fine suburb of Mt Roskill ???
I'm a renter but I think the hordes are coming. I can smell the misguided hope on their breath.
Despite it's many faults, NZ would look pretty damn good for those trying to get out of second and third world shitholes.
Yes, I can not deny that HouseMouse ......I don't not blame the immigrants that come here one iota - it's the NZ government and their immigration policies, disguised as being "politically correct" to appease the UN and look as though NZ is "doing the right thing". It keeps Jacinda in the spotlight for that UN job she so badly wants, while Auntie Helen kept the seat warm there for a while - why should a current Primeminister's future career path dictate how a country is run ?
While the NZ business sector and Government themselves love immigration, as it primarily keeps wages/salaries down - great for business but crap incomes for the worker, so no wonder they head off for Aussie etc.
Then of course the banks and real estate fraternity love immigration - keeps demand up for property and mortgages !
What a "crazy" way to run a small country, whose main industry is exporting agricultural commodities......and residential property !
Exactly, can't blame the immigrants, who would blame them??!!
All the blame lies with consecutive governments in this country over the past 25-30 years, and especially in the past 20 years.
God, the more I think about it the more I can't vote Nats even though I hate this Labour Govt and want to see them gone.... TOP it is!!!!
I agree, I don't think some people here have any idea how bad it is in many countries around the world. If we were not so far away that people had to get on a plane we would be swamped. Plenty of people leaving their countries with just what they can carry and many die on the journey. How bad must it be if your prepared to take the risk of dying just to get out ?
Usually too they're more likely to buy a house than those going, because they live on the smell of an oily rag and will work multiple jobs.
Not that that's for everyone, but it certainly effects overall affordability for people wanting to live more comfortably off a standard 40hr week.
Apparently there are legions of disenchanted the world over that think inflation and high house prices is something that only happens in their country.
Or a new, two bedroom shoebox in the same suburb for only 900k!!!
Kiwis go to Irish themed pubs to drink Belgium beer served by an English barman then pick up a Chinese takeaway on their way home to sit on a Swedish sofa to watch American tv shows on a Japanese television all the while complaining about foreigners.
The original version is about English people.
I love how multi cultural NZ has become and I hope once Covid has gone many more people move here from every country around the world.
Immigration is often sold based on benefits like this. Only die hard xenophobes object to seeing foreign writing on a shop of whatever.
Any real issues with multi-culturalism are clashes over things that matter like work ethic and attitudes towards corruption.
The equation has turned.
1) isolation and limited cultural experiences compared to somewhere like Europe
2) Salaries for young graduates vs what they have to pay to buy accommodation forces them into rent slavery
3) If they can buy,, it will probably be a dump that will decrease in value from this point
4) A banking system that appears to make capital available for property only... Anything entrepreneurial is funded from loans against property.
5) A tax system managed by the capitalled class for the capitalled class
Why would the young stay.. Face it, the excessive greed of the capitalled class has killed the golden goose. Look at the facts, we are sitting with inflation of at least 6%.. and an OcR of .75. This is perverse.
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