Net migration exceeds 100,000

New Zealand had a record net migration gain of 110,200 in the August 2023 year, according to provisional estimates released by Stats NZ today.

Revised estimates show that annual net migration first exceeded 100,000 in the July 2023 year. Net migration is the difference between migrant arrivals and migrant departures.

"Annual migrant arrivals reached an all-time high of 225,400 in the August 2023 year. The 115,100 migrant departures were just below the annual record of 117,400 in the February 2012 year," population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

Text alternative for diagram International migration estimates (provisional), year ended August 2023

"Net migration continues to be driven by non-New Zealand citizen arrivals, with about 8 out of 9 migrants arriving on a non-New Zealand passport," Islam said.

"This follows a progressive relaxation of COVID-19-related border restrictions from early 2022, as well as changes to immigration settings."

The net migration loss of 42,600 New Zealand citizens in the August 2023 year is approaching the record loss of 44,400 in the February 2012 year. In the March 2023 year, 53 percent of New Zealand citizen migrant departures were to Australia.

Migrants are people changing their country of residence, regardless of their country of citizenship or visa status. A 12-month threshold is used to classify migrants from non-migrants, aligned with international guidelines on measuring migration.

Changes in migration are typically due to a combination of factors. This includes relative economic and labour market conditions between New Zealand and the rest of the world, and immigration policy in New Zealand and other countries.

Text alternative for diagram International migration estimates (provisional), year ended August 2023

Diagram shows outcomes-based (provisional) estimates of migration, by citizenship (New Zealand or non-New Zealand) for the year ended August 2023. Overall, net migration is 110,200, made up of a net loss of 42,600 New Zealand citizens (based on 25,900 migrant arrivals, an 8 percent increase on the year ended August 2022, and 68,500 migrant departures, a 66 percent increase) and a net gain of 152,800 non-New Zealand citizens (based on 199,500 migrant arrivals, a 298 percent increase on the year ended August 2022, and 46,600 migrant departures, a 7 percent increase). Estimates are provisional as of 11 October 2023. Percentage changes are indicative of the August 2023 year compared with the August 2022 year. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.