Net migration hits two-year high

New Zealand’s annual net migration gain hit 33,200 for the year to the end of January, its highest level since December 2020.

It was also a sharp turnaround from the net loss of 17,500 in the 12-month period to January 2022, according to Stats NZ.

Figures show that in the year to the end of January 2023 there were 130,800 migrant arrivals and 97,700 migrant departures – up 142 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively.

Those migrant numbers were also above the pre-Covid average for January years between 2002 and 2020 of 121,400 for arrivals and 91,800 for departures.

The provisional net migration gain of 33,200 was made up of a net loss of 16,400 New Zealand citizens, which was more than offset by a net gain of 49,500 non-New Zealand citizens, says Stats NZ.

“This is consistent with migration patterns before the Covid-19 pandemic, where New Zealand usually had an annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens and an annual net migration gain of non-New Zealand citizens.”

There have now been 10 consecutive months of net migration gains of non-New Zealand citizens from April 2022, amounting to 50,800.

This compares with a net migration loss of 32,300 non-New Zealand citizens in the 24 months from April 2020 to March 2022, when Covid-19-related border and travel restrictions were in place.

Meanwhile, Stats NZ data for tourist arrivals in January 2023 reveals it was the first month to record more than 1 million border crossings since Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in March 2020. 

There were 514,100 arrivals and 497,000 departures in January 2023.

Border crossings include all arrivals and departures, either for short-term trips or longer-term migration, by people living overseas or in New Zealand.