New Zealand Faces Migration Shift as 72,000 Citizens Depart

New Zealand experienced a notable demographic change, with over 72,000 citizens leaving the country for long-term stays abroad between September 2024 and September 2025. According to new data from Statistics NZ, this shift marks the lowest net migration gain since 2013, excluding the years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures, reported by Emma Ricketts of Stuff, reflect a complex landscape of migration trends in the nation.

Despite the significant departures, net migration remained positive, indicating that more individuals arrived than left. For the year ending in September 2025, New Zealand recorded a net migration gain of 12,434. This number is derived from a total of 138,871 long-term arrivals and 126,437 long-term departures across all nationalities. However, this gain represents a stark decrease of 44,000 compared to 2015, and an even greater decline of 120,300 from the exceptional post-pandemic year of 2023.

Shifting Patterns in Migration

Historically, between 2002 and 2019, New Zealand averaged a net migration gain of 28,400 annually. The recent figures indicate a shift in this trend, with the most significant factor being the increase in long-term departures of New Zealand citizens. In the year ending in September 2025, 72,684 Kiwis left the country, while only 26,316 returned after residing abroad for a minimum of 12 months. Over the past decade, the number of citizens leaving New Zealand has steadily risen, coupled with a decline in return migration.

Notably, the figures for long-term arrivals remained relatively stable when compared to a decade ago, with 138,871 arrivals noted in September 2025, compared to 136,786 a decade earlier. However, the long-term departures have surged significantly from 80,289 recorded ten years prior.

Among those who arrived in September 2025, the largest groups included 26,316 New Zealand citizens, 18,550 from China, 18,256 from India, and 10,574 from the Philippines. In contrast, the most prominent departures included 72,684 New Zealand citizens, along with 7,870 from China, 5,662 from India, 4,917 from the United Kingdom, and 4,257 from Australia.

Looking Ahead

The migration trends for non-New Zealand citizens reveal that while arrivals have rebounded from the lows experienced during the pandemic, they have significantly declined since 2023. Furthermore, departures of non-citizens have reached their highest level in a decade. Despite these fluctuations, the overall 10-year trend for non-citizen migration remains relatively stable.

Statistics NZ has indicated that the numbers for 2025 are provisional, as authorities cannot fully ascertain long-term stay durations until individuals have completed 12 of the next 16 months in or out of the country. As New Zealand navigates these changing migration patterns, the impacts on its economy, society, and cultural landscape remain to be seen. The Labour Party has suggested that the figures indicate Kiwis are “giving up and heading overseas,” but the broader context suggests a more nuanced picture.