The net migration gain for the year ended June 2021 is the lowest for a June year since 2013, Stats NZ says.
The provisional net migration gain of 4700 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 says.
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,” Tehseen says.
Low monthly migration continues
There were a provisionally estimated 3200 migrant arrivals and 2300 migrant departures in June 2021. In the past 12 months, there was an average of 3800 migrant arrivals and 3400 migrant departures each month.
