Net Permanent and Long-term Migration Eases

18 May 2007

Net Permanent and Long-term Migration Eases

Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 11,200 in the April 2007 year, Statistics New Zealand said today. While this is above the net gain of 10,100 in the April 2006 year, annual net PLT migration has eased since reaching 14,800 in the November 2006 year.

The net PLT migration gain in the year ended April 2007 is below the annual average of 12,200 recorded for the December years 1990–2006. Compared with migration, natural increase (the excess of live births over deaths) is generally a larger and more consistent contributor to population change. Natural increase averaged about 30,000 per year during 1990–2006.

Seasonally adjusted net PLT migration for the month of April 2007 was 100, down from 600 in March 2007. This series had been above 1,000 for the June to December 2006 months. Visitor arrivals numbered 193,200 in April 2007, up 1,600 (1 percent) from April 2006. More visitors arrived from China, Thailand and Korea, but fewer arrived from the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong. In the year ended April 2007, there were 2.447 million visitor arrivals, up 51,000 (2 percent) on the year ended April 2006.

New Zealand residents departed on 163,700 short-term trips in April 2007, slightly above the 162,800 departures in April 2006. There were more trips to China, the Cook Islands and Australia, but fewer to the United Kingdom. In the April 2007 year, New Zealand residents departed on 1.880 million trips, up 9,200 (less than 1 percent) on the previous year.

Dallas Welch (Mrs)

Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

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