Annual net migration lowest since 2012

The provisional net migration gain of 800 people in the year ended September 2021 is the lowest for a September year since 2012, Stats NZ said today.

“This latest gain is well down from the record net migration gain of 92,000 in the March 2020 year,” population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

“It is also well down on the average net gain of 56,000 over the previous seven September years.”

Monthly migration has been low since COVID-19 border and travel restrictions were introduced in mid-March 2020. These restrictions, including capacity constraints in managed isolation and quarantine, limited people’s ability to travel internationally.

Breaking down the annual net migration gain of 800 by citizenship, a net gain of 9,300 New Zealand citizens was mostly offset by a net loss of 8,500 non-New Zealand citizens.

This continues the reversal of historical patterns of a net loss of New Zealand citizens and a net gain of non-New Zealand citizens.

Recently, the net gain of New Zealand citizens has been driven by fewer departing to live overseas, relative to those arriving. The net loss of non-New Zealand citizens is due to fewer arriving to live in New Zealand, relative to those departing.

Net migration loss of young adults

In the September 2021 year, there was a net migration loss of young adults.

Most of the net loss of non-New Zealand citizens in the September 2021 year was in the 16 to 34 age group. This is a turnaround from recent years where this age group drove net migration gains of non-New Zealand citizens.

In the September 2021 year there was a net migration gain of New Zealand citizens across most ages, however, there was a net loss of 600 people aged 18 to 23.

In recent years, the annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens has been driven by those in their late teens and twenties.

Text alternative for diagram International migration estimates (provisional), year ended September 2021

Diagram shows outcomes-based (provisional) estimates of migration, by citizenship (New Zealand or non-New Zealand) for the year ended September 2021. Overall, net migration is 800, made up of a net gain of 9,300 NZ citizens (based on 25,800 migrant arrivals, a 40 percent decrease on the year ended September 2020, and 16,500 migrant departures, a 14 percent decrease), and a net loss of 8,500 non-NZ citizens (based on 21,200 migrant arrivals, a 76 percent decrease on the year ended September 2020, and 29,700 migrant departures, a 37 percent decrease).