Net population gain from migration more than doubled in August year, but number of returning NZ citizens remains low by historical standards

The number of New Zealand citizens leaving the country long-term held steady, year-on-year, at just under 65,000.

Statistics NZ's latest migration estimates show 64,822 NZ citizens emigrated overseas in the August year, almost unchanged (-0.2%) from the 64,981 long-term departures in the 12 months to August 2025. The latest figures are 3.9% lower than the August year peak of 67,478 in 2024.

However, the loss of NZ citizens remains elevated, with the latest figures up 64% compared to the year to August 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and closed borders.

Partially offsetting that loss, the number of NZ citizens returning after an extended stay overseas has slowly increased over the last two years, with 26,574 returning in the 12 months to August this year, up from 25,119 (+5.8%)  in the year to August 2025, and 22,446 (+18.4%) in the year to August 2024.

Nonetheless, the number of returning NZ citizens remains low by historical standards and has declined by almost a third (-32%) over the last 10 years.

The latest figures mean there was a net loss, long-term arrivals minus long-term departures, of 38,249 NZ citizens in the 12 months to August this year, a figure that has increased by a whopping 1300% over the last 10 years. But the latest loss of NZ citizens was more than offset by the net gain of 58,752 citizens of other countries in the 12 months to August this year.

That gave total population growth of 20,503 in the August year, more than double the total gain of 9163 in the year to August 2025.

Analysed by citizenship, the biggest net gain for the year to August were from India 11,732, closely followed by 11,604 from China, then 8205 Philippine citizens, 3832 from Sri Lanka, 1958 from Nepal and 1714 from the USA.

There continues to be an ongoing loss of UK citizens, with a net loss of 430 people from that country in the August year.