New Zealand net migration lowest since 2013

Wellington, Aug 13 New Zealand's net migration gain for the year ended June 2021 was the lowest since 2013, due to the introduction of the border and travel restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country's statistics department said on Friday.

According to Stats NZ, 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, Stats NZ said.

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," Stats NZ quoted population indicators manager, Tehseen Islam as saying.

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," Islam added.