New Zealand net migration sinks to its lowest level in more than a decade

WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s net migration fell to its lowest level in more than a decade, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic, as arrivals cooled and New Zealanders sought better opportunities in Australia – a result that is likely to figure in the 2026 election campaign.

The country recorded a net migration gain of 14,200 in 2025, down 9,600 from a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand said on Feb 13 in Wellington.

That marked the smallest annual increase since 2013, outside 2021, when borders were largely closed during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The result stands in sharp contrast to a record net gain of 135,500 in the year ended October 2023, and less than half the annual average of 30,600 over the past 25 years.

The data also showed 66,300 New Zealand citizens left the country, with 61 per cent headed to Australia.

The exodus of New Zealanders across the Tasman Sea is emerging as a key issue in

New Zealand’s Nov 7 general election

, with many moving in search of higher wages and a better standard of living – intensifying pressure on lawmakers to make New Zealand more competitive and attractive.

Offering some relief for the economy, overseas visitor arrivals climbed to 3.51 million in 2025 – the first annual period to exceed 3.5 million since the year ended March 2020. BLOOMBERG