Migration strong but some do u-turn
More migrants who once moved to New Zealand to live decided to leave the country for good last year.
The latest Statistics New Zealand net migration data shows almost 2 per cent more foreigners left New Zealand in 2017 than they did in 2016.
Statistics New Zealand population statistics manager Peter Dolan said the cooling in net migration last year was a result of ‘‘the increase in those leaving the country after migrating here in the past’’.
Bank of New Zealand senior economist Craig Ebert said the slight lift in departure rates was marginal, and the overall net migration numbers were still ‘‘exceptionally high’’.
Net migration for the year dropped by 600, to 70,000 – a number first reached in 2016.
Net migration is the balance of the number of people arriving and leaving New Zealand.
Out of the 99,300 non-New Zealanders that arrived here last year, 28,000 left and 71,000 stayed.
Ebert said net migration had only shifted down one gear from record peaks in 2016.
If it did not drop any more, and quickly, economic and gross domestic product forecasts may have to be altered to meet population growth, he said.
Economists had forecast Government policy to halve immigration levels within 18 months, he said.
If it did not, relief would not come to the housing market.
‘‘We do question the extent to when that may happen.’’
The majority of migrants were from Australia, the UK and China.
The number of migrants arriving with work visas rose 11 per cent. The growth was fuelled by immigration from the UK and the Philippines.
Kiwis leaving to live overseas outnumbered returning expats by 1000.