Later Easter lifts April visitor numbers
21 May 2014
Visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 224,200 in April 2014, up 12 percent from April 2013, Statistics New Zealand
said today. Most of the increase can be attributed to the later timing of Easter and school holidays in some key source
countries.
"This year, Good Friday was in April, compared with March last year, boosting the number of visitors arriving in April
2014," population statistics project manager Joel Watkins said. "In 2014, the number of visitors for March and April
combined was up 1 percent from 2013."
In the April 2014 year, visitor arrivals numbered 2.78 million, up 6 percent from the April 2013 year. New Zealand's top
four sources of visitors were Australia, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The later Easter also affected the number of New Zealand residents departing on overseas trips. The 199,300 overseas
trips taken in April 2014 was up 8 percent from April 2013. Trips taken this year in March and April combined were up 2
percent from 2013.
Over the year, New Zealand residents took 2.21 million trips, up 2 percent from last year. The most common destinations
were Australia, the United States, Fiji, and the United Kingdom.
Net gain of migrants continues to increase
New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 4,100 migrants in April 2014 – the
second-highest gain on record. The highest was in February 2003 (4,700), when a large number of overseas students
arrived to study at New Zealand universities. Net migration has been positive and mostly increasing since September
2012. The increase since then was mainly due to fewer New Zealand citizens leaving for Australia, as well as more
non-New Zealand citizens arriving.
The seasonally adjusted net loss of 200 migrants to Australia in April 2014 was the lowest-ever for the series, which
began in 1996.
In the April 2014 year, migrant arrivals numbered 98,800 (up 13 percent from 2013), and migrant departures numbered
64,400 (down 22 percent). This resulted in a net gain of 34,400 migrants. The only time annual net migration was higher
was in 2002 and 2003.
New Zealand recorded its highest-ever net gain of 42,500 in the May 2003 year.
In the latest year, New Zealand had a net loss of 11,100 migrants to Australia, well down from 34,100 a year earlier.
Net gains were recorded from most other countries, led by India (6,400), China (6,200), and the United Kingdom (5,900).
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