New Zealand experienced its lowest net population gain from migration in 12 years last year excluding the Covid-19 hit 2021, according to Statistics NZ.
The estimated net 2025 population gain from migration was 14,173, down 40% compared to 2024. That's the lowest in a calendar year since 2013, apart from 2021 when pandemic restrictions were in place.
Last year's net population gain was also down 89.5% from the record annual high of 135,500 for the 12 months to October 2023.
Statistics NZ estimates 133,986 people arrived in NZ long-term last year, while 119,814 departed long-term, giving the net gain of 14,173.
Since 2019 (pre-pandemic) the number of people arriving long-term has decreased 19.2%, while the number of long-term departures has increased 28.6%.
There were 26,276 NZ citizens that arrived back in the country after an extended stay overseas last year (19.6% of total arrivals), while 66,309 NZ citizens departed long-term (55.3% of long term departures).
That gave a net loss of 40,033 NZ citizens in 2025.
Although the number of NZ citizens leaving the country long-term remained high at 66,309 last year, it was down from 67,2214 in 2024, suggesting the outflow of New Zealanders to other countries may have passed its peak in the current cycle.
The loss of NZ citizens last year was offset by a net gain of 54,205 citizens of other countries, down by 19.7% compared to 2024.
The biggest source countries for non-NZ citizens arriving long-term were India 17,286, China including Hong Kong 15,923, Philippines 10,391, Sri Lanka 5572, Australia 4691, UK 4782 and USA 4094.
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12 Comments
Migration trending up over the last few months, sorry renters!
Tourism with a large jump will be good for the Airbnb people also.
🥂
All the savvy investors charging South Asians by newly installed bunk beds in cold, miserable properties you reckon?
You could call it 'business' I guess. But if this is peak innovation for the aspirational Aotearoan, we're in trouble.
Apparently it's either that, or specuvesting based on whatever hype story is getting most headlines today.
It's interesting that these comments always jump to the impact on the property market. These people will also be buying food, goods, services, cars etc. Emblematic of the NZ investment goggles that only see buy-to-let properties.
Also need access to roads, power, schools healthcare and pensions etc
Migrants are a poor way to become rich.
Lucky we have 10 year record high number of rentals available for them
Properties available to rent on Realestate.co.nz at 10-year high | interest.co.nz
It's turning to Shit for Landlords🥂
It's interesting that these comments always jump to the impact on the property market. These people will also be buying food, goods, services, cars etc.
This is true. If consumption is your primary driver of GDP or economic growth, it makes sense to increase the pool of consumers. It also means that scarce resources like shelter should increase in price (not necessarily value). However, given that Aussie and Aotearoa feel this blueprint is the way forward, we should not deceive ourselves. Arguably if GDP per capita is not increasing, we're not really going anywhere. And if share of infrastructure is decreasing among a population, the standard of living is arguably falling for the vast majority.
Looks like noise to me... one swallow does not make a summer... wonder what the net jobs situation is? No work = no stay...
So the rest of the world has worked out what a mess NZ in?
I reckon it's a result of a coalition deal between NZ First and National. Winston wants the lid kept on net migration.
NZ has lost most of it's young best and brightest who actually want to work. There was only so many of them...
We know how many people leave and their age groups but “most of our best and brightest” isnt a statistic.
Big claims need numbers, got any?
Anecdata: I have friends with kids who've gotten a good way through their education and the thoughtful or ambitious ones seem to be thinking about further education, or leaving for work, overseas. They range from hard science graduates to electricians to medical people: they are all 'doers' of things.
They seem to be comparing us to Australia, Europe and advanced nations like Singapore and Canada and we suffer in comparison in practical, social and economic terms.
It looks a mix of a lack of advancement opportunities because they perceive we are not really a meritocracy (career prospects determined by not what, but who you know), the remoteness from new things, the provincialism and narrowness of our thinking, that the basics of running a country have not been mastered - from public transport to buying a house, that we are endlessly adversarial rather than collaborative, and that the breadth of opportunities keep shrinking as we seem to be doing fewer things.
It's difficult to argue with their logic.
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