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New Zealand had a net migration gain of 26,400 in the March 2025 year, according to provisional estimates published by Stats NZ today.
“The net migration gain of 26,400 in the March 2025 year was well down from a gain of 100,400 in the March 2024 year,” international migration statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake says.
“The fall in net migration in the March 2025 year was mainly due to fewer migrant arrivals, although departures also rose to a provisional annual record,” Sarah says.
Provisionally there were 149,600 migrant arrivals and 123,300 migrant departures in the March 2025 year, compared with 207,100 migrant arrivals and 106,700 migrant departures in the March 2024 year.
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.
The provisional net migration gain of 71,200 non-New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year was down from a net gain of 145,600 in the March 2024 year.
Despite the fall, the net gain in the March 2025 year was still high by historical standards.
Net migration gains of non-New Zealand citizens averaged around 60,000 in the March years 2015 to 2019, which was a period of relatively high migration.
The lower net migration gain of non-New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year was driven by a fall in the number of migrant arrivals. The largest falls in migrant arrivals and net migration were for citizens of India and the Philippines, respectively. These citizenships still recorded a net migration gain overall.
There were 124,400 migrant arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year, down from 185,000 the year before.
Migrant departures of non-New Zealand citizens rose to 53,200 in the March 2025 year, up from 39,300 the year before.
The provisional net migration loss of 44,900 New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year was similar to a net loss of 45,300 in the March 2024 year.
The net loss of New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year was driven by 70,000 migrant departures, which more than offset 25,200 migrant arrivals.
Based on the latest estimates available, nearly three in every five of these migrant departures of New Zealand citizens went to Australia.
Migrants aged 18 to 30 years made up 27,200 (39 per cent) of the 70,000 migrant departures of New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year.
Migrants aged 18 to 44 years made up 80,200 (64 per cent) of the 124,400 migrant arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens in the March 2025 year.
