Kiwis crossing ditch nears 20-year high
Figures out today from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) put the net outflow of permanent and long term (PLT) migrants to Australia at 28,000 in 2007, compared with 20,700 the previous year.
That was the highest net outflow to Australia for a December year since 1988, when it was 33,400, SNZ said.
The PLT flow to Australia was a big factor in a slowdown in the impact of migration on the New Zealand population last year.
The overall 5500 net PLT gain for the year ended December was below the annual average of 11,800 recorded for the December years from 1990-2007, SNZ said.
But overall PLT arrivals were down just 200 on the December 2006 year to 82,600, while the 77,100 PLT departures were up 9000.
The main source of migrants last year was Britain, which provided 7100 people, although that was down from 10,900 the previous year.
For the December month, overall PLT departures exceeded arrivals by 100, compared with an excess of 1000 arrivals over departures in December 2006.
The change in the direction of the net flow was mainly due to 900 more New Zealand citizen departures, including 800 more to Australia, and 200 more non-New Zealand citizen departures, SNZ said.
Seasonally adjusted, December arrivals were the same as departures, the lowest seasonally adjusted net flow since May 2001.
Short-term visitor numbers were also looking shaky, with the 317,300 short-term overseas visitor arrivals to this country in December, 1800 or 1 per cent down on December 2006.
Seasonally adjusted, visitor arrivals decreased 1 per cent between November and December.
Arrivals in the December quarter were also lower than a year earlier, down 9600 or 1 per cent at 726,000.
For the whole of 2007 visitor arrivals were up 44,100 or 2 per cent to 2.47 million.
In December, while the number of visitors to this country was declining, the number of New Zealand residents leaving on short-term overseas trips was rising.
New Zealand residents departed on 199,700 short-term overseas trips last month, up 9200 or 5 per cent on December 2006.
Almost 40 per cent of the increase was due to sea cruises to the Pacific Islands, SNZ said.
For the December quarter, resident departures were up 36,800 or 8 per cent to 527,300, while for the year to December they increased 116,400 or 6 per cent to 1.98m.
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- NZPA
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Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 7:59 pm under