Auckland, New Zealand.
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Government statistics show record numbers of people leaving New Zealand as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high and economic growth sluggish.
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday showed that 131,200 people left New Zealand in the year to June 2024, temporarily setting an annual record. About a third of those went to Australia.
While net migration (arrivals minus departures) remains high, economists also expect net migration to fall as the economy weakens and fewer foreigners want to move to New Zealand.
Figures show that 80,174 of those leaving were citizens, almost double the number who left before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Merrily Allen is currently planning to move to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia in early 2025 with her partner and 14-year-old daughter
“There are a lot of opportunities out there. They’re always looking for people in my specialty,” said Allen, who works in dental management.
“I have a lot of friends who went[to Australia]… purely for the better job opportunities, the better life. Australia seems to have that.”
During the epidemic, encouraged by the government’s handling of the epidemic at the time, the number of New Zealanders living overseas returning home hit a record high.
But for some, the love affair with this country of 5.3 million people is over. Economists say New Zealanders, frustrated by the cost of living, high interest rates and fewer jobs, are turning to Australia, Britain and elsewhere.
The Bank of New Zealand raised the cash rate by 521 basis points, the most aggressive tightening policy since the official cash rate was introduced in 1999. The New Zealand economy is in trouble. rose to 4.7% in the second quarter and Inflation remains high is 3.3%.
In addition, Australia has been recruiting and offering placement programs in skills-short areas such as nursing, policing and teaching, attracting New Zealanders who don’t need visas to work there. At the same time, the New Zealand government has significantly reduced the size of the country’s public services, leaving many skilled workers looking for work.
