Net migration at its lowest since 2013

The net migration gain for the year ended June 2021 is the lowest for a June year since 2013, Stats NZ said today.

The provisional net migration gain of 4,700 in the year ended June 2021 was made up of an estimated 45,300 migrant arrivals and 40,500 migrant departures. For June years, this is the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 1986 and the lowest number of migrant departures since 1984.

"Monthly migration since April 2020 has been low, due to the introduction of COVID-19 border and travel restrictions from March 2020, which have limited people's ability to travel internationally, as well as managed isolation and quarantine capacity constraints," population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

A net gain of 15,600 New Zealand citizens in the year ended June 2021 was partly offset by a net loss of 10,800 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. The net gain of New Zealand citizens is mainly a result of fewer New Zealand citizens departing to live overseas, relative to those arriving.

"As a result of COVID-19, the number of New Zealand citizens leaving this country to live overseas has slowed considerably in the past year, and far fewer non-New Zealand citizens migrated to New Zealand," Mr Islam said.

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

Low monthly migration continues

There were a provisionally estimated 3,200 migrant arrivals and 2,300 migrant departures in June 2021. In the past 12 months, there was an average of 3,800 migrant arrivals and 3,400 migrant departures each month.

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

The diagram shows outcomes-based (provisional) estimates of migration, by citizenship (New Zealand or non-New Zealand) for the year ended June 2021. Overall, net migration is 4,700, made up of a net gain of 15,600 NZ citizens (based on 27,700 migrant arrivals, a 36 percent decrease on the year ended June 2020, and 12,100 migrant departures, a 53 percent decrease) and a net loss of 10,800 non-NZ citizens (based on 17,600 migrant arrivals, an 85 percent decrease on the year ended June 2020, and 28,400 migrant departures, a 42 percent decrease).