Visitors from China top 300,000
21 May 2015
Visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 2.96 million in the April 2015 year, which is the highest-ever annual total,
Statistics New Zealand said today. This total was 7 percent higher than the April 2014 year.
"The annual number of visitors from China topped 300,000 for the first time," population statistics manager Vina Cullum
said. "The 302,100 visitor arrivals from China in the April 2015 year were up 26 percent from the previous year. Most of
this increase was holidaymakers."
Visitor arrivals in April 2015 (238,000) were up 6 percent from April 2014. The biggest increases were from China (up
6,600) and the United States (up 2,800).
New Zealand-resident travellers departed on 202,300 overseas trips in April 2015, up 2 percent from April 2014. The
biggest changes were to New Caledonia (up 1,300), Australia (up 1,000), and the United Kingdom (down 2,100).
Net inflow of 4,700 migrants in April
New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 4,700 migrants in April 2015. Net
migration has been fluctuating around this level for the past six months.
From September 2012 to October 2014, net migration was positive and mostly increasing. This was mainly due to fewer New
Zealand citizens leaving for Australia, and more non-New Zealand citizens arriving.
New Zealand had a net inflow of 100 migrants from Australia in April 2015 – the first month New Zealand has had a net
gain from Australia since 1991.
The annual net gain of migrants was a record-high 56,800 in the April 2015 year, well up from 34,400 in the April 2014
year, and 4,800 in the April 2013 year. Migrant arrivals were up 16 percent from the April 2014 year, while departures
were down 11 percent.
The net loss of 1,900 people to Australia in the April 2015 year was the smallest since 1992. The biggest net gains of
migrants in the April 2015 year were from India (12,200), China (7,800), the United Kingdom (4,600), and the Philippines
(4,000). About three-quarters of migrants from India, and half of migrants from China, arrived on student visas.
For more information about these statistics:
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