Annual net migration loss of 8,400

There was a provisional net migration loss of 8,400 in the September 2022 year, Stats NZ said today. This was made up of 69,100 migrant arrivals and 77,500 migrant departures.

“Having a net migration loss is not uncommon for New Zealand,” population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said. “Since the 1960s, every decade has seen some years of net migration loss.”

The net migration loss of 8,400 in the September 2022 year was made up of a net loss of 12,700 New Zealand citizens, which more than offset a net gain of 4,200 non-New Zealand citizens.

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

COVID-19-related travel and border restrictions introduced in early 2020 disrupted usual migration patterns, and resulted in net gains of New Zealand citizens, and net losses of non-New Zealand citizens.

Text alternative for diagram International migration estimates (provisional), year ended September 2022

Net gain of non-New Zealand citizens

The net migration gain of 4,200 non-New Zealand citizens in the September 2022 year compares with a net migration loss of 17,100 in the September 2021 year. The current net gain is well below recent September years (2015-2019), which saw average net gains of 61,300 a year.

There have been six consecutive months of net migration gains of non-New Zealand citizens from April 2022, amounting to 10,900.

This net migration gain compares with a net migration loss of 31,400 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.

Net loss of New Zealand citizens

The net migration loss of 12,700 New Zealand citizens in the September 2022 year compares with a net migration gain of 6,200 in the September 2021 year.

The current net migration loss is:

• larger than the loss in the September years 2014-2019, which averaged 5,200 a year; but
• smaller than the loss in the September years 2002-2013, which averaged 26,600 a year.

There have been 11 consecutive months of net migration losses of New Zealand citizens to September 2022, amounting to 13,500. This follows 27 months of mainly net migration gains of New Zealand citizens, amounting to 32,000.

Migration affects population growth in New Zealand – see National population estimates: At 30 September 2022, to be published on 17 November 2022.

Text alternative for diagram International migration estimates (provisional), year ended September 2022

Diagram shows outcomes-based (provisional) estimates of migration, by citizenship (New Zealand or non-New Zealand) for the year ended September 2022. Overall, net migration is -8,400, made up of a net loss of 12,700 NZ citizens (based on 22,500 migrant arrivals, a 28 percent decrease on the year ended September 2021, and 35,100 migrant departures, a 41 percent increase) and a net gain of 4,200 non-NZ citizens (based on 46,600 migrant arrivals, a 79 percent increase on the year ended September 2021, and 42,400 migrant departures, a 2 percent decrease). Estimates are provisional as of 15 November 2022. Percentage changes are indicative of the September 2022 year compared with the September 2021 year.