Migration surge of New Zealanders to Australia continues apace in July; More Indians, Chinese arriving than Brits
Net emigration of New Zealand citizens to Australia jumped 54% to 1,469 in July from July a year ago as wage growth surges across the Tasman and unemployment rises here.
The turnaround in recent months to a rise in emigration by New Zealand citizens to Australia has coincided with a renewed debate about closing the wages gap with Australia and with a slowdown in the housing market. Housing sales volumes and prices fell in July as the average wage gap between Australia and New Zealan blew out by almost NZ$100 a week to NZ$643 in the last two years.
Statistics NZ reported that 2,291 New Zealand citizens left to live permanently in Australia in July, while 369 non-New Zealand citizens left to live in Australia. Total net emigration to Australia jumped 62% to 1,438 in July from the same month a year ago.
Meanwhile, total net migration to New Zealand in July almost halved to 1,386 in July from July a year ago. Migration in the year to July was 15,221, up from 14,488 in the previous year.
Most of the net migration to New Zealand in July came from India (929), China (420), Germany (247) and the Philippines (159), while the traditional migration source of Britain saw net emigration of 52 in the month, which was well down on net immigration of 262 in the same month a year earlier.
However, seasonally adjusted net migration was 1,000 in July 2010, up from 100 in June 2010, Statistics NZ said. Most of the growth appears to have come from India, while the outflow to Australia continues to accelerate.
"Although seasonally adjusted net PLT migration increased from June 2010, it was still lower than the monthly average of 1,900 recorded between February 2009 and January 2010," Statistics NZ said.
"Before July 2010, the monthly seasonally adjusted series had been steadily decreasing from 1,800 in January 2010, because of falling arrivals and increasing departures. The latest increase in seasonally adjusted net PLT migration was due to a rebound in PLT arrivals, as well as a levelling off of PLT departures. It is too early to say whether the rebound in arrivals is temporary, or will be sustained."
On an unadjusted basis, PLT arrivals outnumbered departures by 1,400 in July 2010, down from 2,700 in July 2009. The decrease in net migration in July 2010, compared with July 2009, was due to 400 fewer arrivals and 900 more departures.
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