Migration loss as Christchurch residents leave

Wednesday 4th May 2011 1 Comment

New Zealand's population gain through migration ground to a halt in March, as the number of people leaving Christchurch long term or permanently more than doubled following the deadly February earthquake.

Figures from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today show a seasonally adjusted net outflow of 500 migrants in March, the largest monthly outflow in a decade, and down from a net inflow of 500 in February.

Unadjusted, 2000 more people left this country than arrived on a permanent and long term (PLT) basis in March.

A major contributor to the fall in net migration was a jump in departures from Christchurch following the February 22 earthquake, with 1100 PLT departures by Christchurch residents, more than double the 500 departures in March 2010, SNZ said.

Fewer than 400 people arrived to live in Christchurch in March, compared with more than 500 a year earlier.

The net outflow of 3600 migrants to Australia in March was the highest for a March month since 1981, and was up from 1800 a year earlier, SNZ said.

For the year to March net migration stood at 6600, compared to 21,000 in the March 2010 year. The 83,000 PLT arrivals in the March year were down 2% from 2010, while the 76,500 PLT departures were up 21%.

NZPA

Comments from our readers

On 13 May 2011 at 12:32 am jo said:

I left christchurch to go to to brisbane and its hell: getting paid double what I was earning in nz, sleeping through the night at least 7 hours straight, and waking up to blue skies and sunshine every day. Why the whole population of chch aren't here is beyond me!