Big jump in Kiwis leaving NZ

Photo / Dean Purcell

More Kiwis left to live permanently overseas in October than in any month since January 2009, seasonally adjusted figures from Statistics New Zealand show.

Total seasonally adjusted permanent and long term (PLT) departures of 6,610 in October was up from 6,200 in September, and 4,680 in October 2009.

However, permanent arrivals of migrants also rose, meaning net permanent and long term migration to New Zealand continued to trend upward in October.

This fits with economist expectations for numbers to keep increasing, putting at least some pressure on a slow housing market that has experienced a poor start to the spring selling season.

Seasonally adjusted figures show a net 680 permanent and long term migrants arrived in October, and although this was down from 1,030 in September, Statistics New Zealand's trend series for the figures continued to rise from a low in May this year.

The monthly fall in net migration from September was due to more New Zealanders leaving for Australia, Stats NZ said.

There were 3,031 permanent or long-term (PLT) departures from New Zealand to Australia during the month, up from 1,851 in October 2009, figures show. There were 2,681 New Zealand residents who left to live in Australia, up from 1,573 in October 2009 but down from 3,279 in the peak outflow month of October 2008.

However monthly departures across the Tasman were still down from the October month peak of 3,647 in 2008, Stats NZ said.

Overall annual figures show net PLT migration to New Zealand was 12,610 in the year to October, down from 18,560 the year before

ANZ bank economist Sharon Zollner said the tourism industry was contiuing to "feel the effects of economic troubles abroad and the strong NZ dollar. The buoyant Australian market is providing a crucial offset."

"Net inflows remain well below 2009 levels, due primarily to a big pick-up in departures to Australia (63.7 per cent higher than in October 2009), said Zollner.

"This dynamic is not likely to reverse anytime soon. In the last 12 months NZ has lost an eye-watering net 19,200 people to Australia. This is made up of 35,000 departures (the equivalent of the Taupo district upping sticks), and 15,800 arrivals (Rangiteiki district came back)."

She said the tourism sector continued to feel the reduction in high-spending European tourists, with visitor arrivals from Europe 4.1 per cent below a year-earlier.

Asian tourists were going some way to meeting the shortfall - up 11 per cent year on year, but they tended to have "briefer and cheaper stays".


INTEREST.CO.NZ / HERALD ONLINE