New Zealand is proving to be a big draw for people seeking a new job and lifestyle with the latest figures showing that migration to the country continues to break records.
Seasonally adjusted figures showed a record net gain, that is more arrivals than departures, of 6,300 migrants in November 2015. Net migration has been regularly breaking records since August 2014, when it surpassed the previous highest ever net gain of 4,700 in February 2003.
New Zealand had its 16th consecutive record annual net gain of migrants in the November 2015 year of 63,700. It resulted from 120,900 migrant arrivals (a record high) and 57,200 migrant departures.
The data also shows that an annual net gain of migrants from Australia resulted from fewer New Zealand citizen departures and more New Zealand and non-New Zealand citizen arrivals.
Of the migrant arrivals in the November 2015 year some 25,100 were from Australia, with two thirds being New Zealand citizens and 14,500 were from India, with three quarters having student visas.
There were 13,400 were from the United Kingdom, with about 80% having work visas or New Zealand citizenship and 10,900 were from China, with just under half having student visas.
The data from Statistics New Zealand also shows that visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 300,500 in November 2015, up 11% from November 2014. The biggest increase was in visitors from China, up 9,600 or 35%, from November last year.
“Visitors arriving from China were mainly holidaymakers. Most of these visitors were from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong,” said population statistics manager Vina Cullum.
In the November 2015 year, visitor arrivals reached a record 3.09 million, up 9% from the previous year. Australia contributed 1.32 million visitors, China 344,900, and the United States 240,000.
New Zealand residents took 182,400 overseas trips in November 2015, up 3% from November 2014. Australia and Fiji were the main destinations for travellers, with trips to Australia increasing 3% compared with November 2014.
New Zealand residents took a record 2.39 million overseas trips in the November 2015 year, up 6%. Almost half of the trips were to Australia.