Net Migration Loss To Australia In 2024

There was a net migration loss of 30,000 people from New Zealand to Australia in the December 2024 year, according to provisional estimates released by Stats NZ today.

"The net migration loss from New Zealand to Australia in 2024 was similar to the loss of 29,400 in 2023," international migration statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

"The loss in 2024 is the largest for a calendar year since 2012, but below the record loss of 43,700 in the March 2012 year."

Traditionally, there has been a net migration loss from New Zealand to Australia. This averaged about 30,000 a year during 2004 to 2013, and 3,000 a year during 2014 to 2019.

Year ended"Migrant arrivals (from Australia to New Zealand"Migrant departures (from New Zealand to AustraliaNet migration (from New Zealand to Australia)
Sep-2004 estimated from Stats NZ data)" estimated from ABS data)"21667
Dec-2004209114257819837
Mar-2005202434008020889
Jun-2005196334052222757
Sep-2005191654192223925
Dec-2005188944281924881
Mar-2006186644354524808
Jun-2006184974330525235
Sep-2006182994353425980
Dec-2006184084438827135
Mar-2007185584569329032
Jun-2007186104764231158
Sep-2007187374989532272
Dec-2007187135098533936
Mar-2008185385247436130
Jun-2008183025443237659
Sep-2008181145577339504
Dec-2008178815738539948
Mar-2009179855793337505
Jun-2009181855569032224
Sep-2009187455096926788
Dec-2009194844627222337
Mar-2010201494248620570
Jun-2010207114128121933
Sep-2010209734290624898
Dec-2010210744597228384
Mar-2011208094919333172
Jun-2011205475371937655
Sep-2011199165757140690
Dec-2011193856007542699
Mar-2012191316183043747
Jun-2012189416268843743
Sep-2012190896283242885
Dec-2012196946257940851
Mar-2013209346178536955
Jun-2013222015915631657
Sep-2013237005535725591
Dec-2013255685115919347
Mar-2014276154696213144
Jun-201429089422339009
Sep-201429956389656368
Dec-201430557369253959
Mar-201531368353272603
Jun-201531816344191575
Sep-20153228233857889
Dec-20153268233571698
Mar-20163302033718972
Jun-201633467344392590
Sep-201633235358254129
Dec-201632910370394600
Mar-201732481370814197
Jun-201731695358923120
Sep-201731339344592662
Dec-201730574332362797
Mar-201829595323923236
Jun-201828827320633630
Sep-201828215318453747
Dec-201828002317494352
Mar-201927366317184437
Jun-201927178316154230
Sep-201927617318473639
Dec-201928509321482680
Mar-20203070433384-675
Jun-20203277232097-3313
Sep-20202860525292-8082
Dec-20202670518623-7340
Mar-20212122213882-3671
Jun-20211660812937-1379
Sep-202121685203063856
Dec-202118715225715387
Mar-202216656220435907
Jun-202216967228747697
Sep-2022156172331411007
Dec-2022178632887014589
Mar-2023202403482918745
Jun-2023208073955223206
Sep-2023185014170726087
Dec-2023174304351729379
Mar-2024165864596532057
Jun-2024155814763831933
Sep-2024157374767031174
Dec-2024163674754129952

The net migration loss in 2024 was made up of 47,300 migrant departures to Australia and 17,300 migrant arrivals from Australia. This compared with 46,000 migrant departures to Australia and 16,600 migrant arrivals from Australia in 2023.

"The annual record for migrant departures to Australia was 62,800 in the June 2012 year," Drake said.

These estimates use data from Stats NZ and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, whose data is currently available up to December 2024).

New Zealand citizens drive trans-Tasman migration

New Zealand citizens were the main driver of trans-Tasman migration flows in 2024, reflecting a long-standing historical pattern.

In 2024, New Zealand citizens - people travelling on New Zealand passports - made up 85 percent of the 47,300 migrant departures to Australia, and 67 percent of the 17,300 migrant arrivals from Australia. In 2023, these proportions were 84 percent and 61 percent, respectively.

Australia the main destination for New Zealand-citizen migrants

Of the 69,300 migrant departures of New Zealand citizens to all countries in 2024, 58 percent were to Australia. Based on available data from 1979, this share has fluctuated between 41 percent in 1991 and 77 percent in 2012.

Overseas-born New Zealand citizens migrating to Australia

Since the early 2000s, people who were born outside New Zealand have made up a growing proportion of New Zealand citizens migrating to Australia.

Of New Zealand citizens who migrated to Australia in 2024, 35 percent were born outside New Zealand.

This is higher than the overseas-born proportion of New Zealand's population, which was 29 percent in 2023 - for more information, see 'Almost 30 percent of usual residents born overseas' in 2023 Census population, dwelling, and housing highlights.

YearNZ-citizen migrant arrivals to AustraliaCensus usually resident population count
200119.5
2002
2003
200420.8
200520.8
200622.422.9
200722.1
200821.1
200922.6
201022.2
201121.7
201223.2
201325.325.2
201427.5
201529.2
201631.1
201732.5
201833.827.4
201933.9
202034.1
202133.9
202236.5
202336.928.8
202435.1

Among New Zealand's population aged 20 to 39 years in 2023, 37 percent were born overseas.

The young-adult ages are also where migrants are generally concentrated. Migrants aged 20 to 39 years made up 51 percent of the 69,300 migrant departures of New Zealand citizens to all countries in 2024.

Migration to Australia via New Zealand (published in June 2017) has historical context relating to this release.

Net migration gain from the rest of the world

There was a provisional net migration gain of 54,100 to New Zealand from the rest of the world (excluding Australia) in 2024. This was well down on the net gain of 157,300 in 2023, which was a record for a calendar year.

The net migration gain from the rest of the world in 2024 more than offset the net migration loss of 30,000 to Australia.

Data on the destination of migrants departing New Zealand is only available for Australia.

In the 16 years from 2004 to 2019, net migration gains from the rest of the world averaged 46,100 a year.

Year endedMigration from rest of the world (excluding Australia) to New ZealandMigration from New Zealand to rest of world (excluding Australia)Net migration from rest of the world (excluding Australia) to New Zealand
Sep-2004846804443140249
Dec-2004832534927633977
Mar-2005827715090031871
Jun-2005844745061833856
Sep-2005851065066534441
Dec-2005853184917136147
Mar-2006866784809138587
Jun-2006870994839338706
Sep-2006895244823641288
Dec-2006921294828143848
Mar-2007938664895344913
Jun-2007947954911845677
Sep-2007953514980045551
Dec-2007949124993944973
Mar-2008965154981846697
Jun-2008995454984649699
Sep-20081014054949851907
Dec-20081020094979052219
Mar-20091011774962951548
Jun-2009969784848648492
Sep-2009928714817744694
Dec-2009881164751040606
Mar-2010835394833735202
Jun-2010807834988130902
Sep-2010800575047929578
Dec-2010796905158328107
Mar-2011801555246627689
Jun-2011809695271828251
Sep-2011816545358428070
Dec-2011810755452026555
Mar-2012817805371728063
Jun-2012816455288528760
Sep-2012803405164628694
Dec-2012808285038530443
Mar-2013800034885931144
Jun-2013806684820232466
Sep-2013812714756333708
Dec-2013826674602936638
Mar-2014855574562839929
Jun-2014883184584742471
Sep-2014942244558748637
Dec-2014968124544051372
Mar-20151002244635553869
Jun-20151016354663355002
Sep-20151041044671857386
Dec-20151071054659860507
Mar-20161093104518364127
Jun-20161109474374467203
Sep-20161106274262268005
Dec-20161106434315467489
Mar-20171108934534765546
Jun-20171109184826562653
Sep-20171109955179759198
Dec-20171105075443056077
Mar-20181101765600854168
Jun-20181098405721552625
Sep-20181110025782753175
Dec-20181116485772953919
Mar-20191118575773654121
Jun-20191139005756956331
Sep-20191193875662162766
Dec-20191350385977075268
Mar-20201521126110791005
Jun-20201310924956981523
Sep-20201041884728956899
Dec-2020702224071829504
Mar-20213258138034-5453
Jun-20213824346207-7964
Sep-20213856945534-6965
Dec-20213880348366-9563
Mar-20223720450755-13551
Jun-20224570855703-9995
Sep-202266056602185838
Dec-2022992005971139489
Mar-20231512435803293211
Jun-202318865657053131603
Sep-202321404555235158810
Dec-202321329755967157330
Mar-202419134759219132128
Jun-202416539563200102195
Sep-20241420126844673566
Dec-20241281317398854143

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

A migrant is someone changing their country of residence, irrespective of their citizenship or visa type. Migrants include both New Zealand and non-New Zealand citizens, as both affect the population living in New Zealand. A 12-month threshold is generally used internationally to differentiate migrants from short-term travellers .

The latest monthly International migration release contains the most recent Stats NZ migration estimates, including revisions to previous estimates.

Text alternative for diagram Estimated migration between New Zealand and Australia, and the rest of the world, year ended December 2024

Diagram shows estimates of migration between New Zealand and Australia, and between New Zealand and the rest of the world, for the year ended December 2024. Overall, net migration is 24,200, made up of a net loss with Australia of 30,000 (based on 17,300 migrant arrivals, a 4 percent increase on 2023, and 47,300 migrant departures, a 3 percent increase) and a net gain of 54,100 with the rest of the world (excluding Australia) (based on 128,100 migrant arrivals, a 40 percent decrease on 2023, and 74,000 migrant departures, a 32 percent increase). All estimates are provisional as of 10 July 2025 and include adjustments for non-response to country of last permanent residence. Source: Stats NZ.

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