NZ migration rose to record in 2014   30 Jan 2015

Tina Morrison

 

NZ migration surged to record in 2014, helped by robust economy

Jan. 30 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand migration surged to a record in 2014 as more people relocated from India and Australia and fewer kiwis departed across the Tasman.

The country had a 50,922 net migration gain in 2014, up from 22,468 in 2013, Statistics New Zealand said. The number of migrants increased 16 percent to a record 109,317 in 2014, while departures fell 18 percent to 58,395, the agency said.

New Zealand's burgeoning economy has attracted a record influx of people at the same time as fewer kiwis depart for Australia, given the comparatively weaker outlook for the Australian economy. That's helped push up local demand for items such as vehicles, where sales rose to a record last year, and kept wage inflation low. The central bank is keeping a close eye on the effect on the housing market amid concerns that a lack of supply will cause house prices to spike, creating financial instability.

"The attractiveness of the New Zealand labour market relative to Australia’s and the rest of the world’s has, and will continue to be a key influence," ASB Bank senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown said in a note. "We will be carefully monitoring migration figures over the coming months before coming to any conclusion about whether net migration inflows are at a peak, and about to return to more normal levels.'

The gain in migrants last year was led by India, where an extra 4,599 arrivals took the total to 11,303 and saw the country overtake China as New Zealand's third-largest migrant country.

Australia was the second-largest source of migrants, cementing its position as New Zealand's largest source, with an extra 3,726 arrivals taking the total to 23,275.

An extra 1,333 migrants came from China, taking the total to 9,515, while an additional 1,230 arrivals from the Philippines took its total to 3,890, the sixth-largest.

Meanwhile some 258 fewer migrants arrived from the UK, the second-largest source of New Zealand's migrants, taking the total to 13,680.

A net 3,797 New Zealanders relocated to Australia in 2014, just a fifth of last year's net loss of 19,605 people and substantially down from 2012's net loss of 38,796, the agency said. It was the smallest net loss to Australia in a 12-month period since May 1994.

Still, for the December month net migration slowed to a seasonally adjusted gain of 4,100, the lowest level in seven months and down from 5,000 in November and a peak of 5,230 in October due to fewer arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens, the agency said.

"A monthly pace of net immigration of 4,100 is still very strong," Westpac Banking Corp senior economist Felix Delbruck said in a note. "However, it is a significant drop from the recent monthly pace of around 5,000, and raises questions around whether the migration boom will continue to intensify. At this stage we are inclined to take the December drop with a grain of salt. Seasonal factors can make the underlying trend hard to gauge around this time of year."

Separately, the number of visitors to New Zealand rose 5 percent in December from the year earlier month to a record 402,500, as visitors from China surged 39 percent, the agency said.

China also contributed the biggest annual increase in visitors, followed by Australia, the US and Germany.

Total visitor numbers rose 5 percent in 2014 to 2.86 million, the agency said.

New Zealanders departures on overseas trips rose 4 percent to 2.27 million in 2014.

(BusinessDesk)

Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more