Net outflow to Australia record for May

Tuesday 21st June 2011

Permanent and long-term (PLT) departures to Australia outnumbered arrivals by 3,300 in May 2011, more than the previous record for a May month of 2,900 in 1979, according to Statistics New Zealand (SNZ).

On a seasonally adjusted basis, there was an overall net outflow of 400 PLT migrants in May 2011. Net migration has been negative since March 2011, when departures from Christchurch jumped following the earthquake which damaged the city on 22 February.

Departures of Christchurch residents remained high in May 2011, numbering 800, up from 500 departures in May 2010. Since the earthquake on 22 February, the city has experienced 1,300 more departures and 400 fewer arrivals than in the same period of 2010.

New Zealand had a net migration gain of 4,600 in the year ended May 2011, down from 18,000 the previous year, and below the average annual net migration gain of 12,000 over the last 20 years. The decrease in net migration compared with 2010 was mainly due to an increase in departures to Australia.

Comments from our readers

No comments yet