Migration to New Zealand gained momentum with a positive net migration of more than 5,500 people in November 2022.
Data released by Stats NZ showed that more than 21,000 new migrants arrived in New Zealand in November last year, while 15,600 left the country.
This resulted in New Zealand having a net gain of 5,700 migrants in November after more than a year of migrant losses.
New Zealand’s migrant intake in November 2022 was up by more than 300 per cent compared to November 2021, as immigration continues to slowly return to normal following an extended period of border closures and travel restrictions due to Covid-19.
In the year ending in November, New Zealand welcomed around 98,000 new migrants, while just over 92,000 departures were recorded over the same period.
Before the upturn in migration numbers, New Zealand went through a period of negative net migration between late 2020 to mid-2022, when more people left the country than arrived.
However, the trend slowly started reversing in July 2022. By September last year, New Zealand’s estimated net migration gain was almost 4,200 people.
The highest net migration gain recorded during the pandemic was in February 2020, when 14,627 more people arrived in New Zealand than departed.
The lowest figures were recorded in December 2021, when the net migration fell to negative 4,415 as the number of people leaving New Zealand due to the pandemic far exceeded those who arrived.
The migration data released by Stats NZ provides insight into New Zealand’s labour force, as more migrants arriving means greater opportunities to fill skill shortages in struggling sectors.
A higher immigration rate can also boost the overall economy of the country or the GDP per capita, as it can help mitigate the onerous effects of inflation.
