Why New Zealand is seeing a record number of its citizens leaving – Firstpost

New figures reveal that New Zealand citizens are departing the country in record numbers, with a significant portion moving to Australia. According to Stats NZ’s provisional international migration data, an estimated 1,30,600 people left the country in the year leading up to April, marking the highest annual total on record Over 81,000 Kiwis left New Zealand for long-term stays abroad in the year leading up to April, resulting in a net loss of 56,500 people. This net gain included a net increase of 154,900 non-New Zealand citizens, which offset the net migration loss of 56,500 New Zealand citizens. In the year ending April 2024, New Zealand citizens constituted the largest group of migrant departures, with 81,200 individuals leaving the country. Tehseen Islam, Stats NZ’s population indicators manager, noted, “Historically, changes in migration are typically due to a combination of factors – those include the relative economic and labour market conditions between New Zealand and the rest of the world.” Then-New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins had pledged, last year, to focus government reforms on tackling the “global pandemic of inflation” and rising living costs.