Kiwi migration continues

The numbers of New Zealanders leaving this country to live in Australia continued to rise in March, while the number of Australians visiting here short term was also up.

Figures published today by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) show that a net outflow of 3100 permanent and long term (PLT) migrants left this country for Australia in March, up from 2800 in March 2007.

The 83,500 PLT arrivals in the year to the end of March was up 1000 from the March 2007 year, while the 78,800 PLT departures was up 8400.

The resulting 4700 net migration was down from 12,100 in the March 2007 year, SNZ said.

The net PLT outflow of 29,900 to Australia in the March 2008 year was the highest net outflow to Australia since the July 2001 year. It compared with 23,300 in the March 2007 year.

A net inflow of 6900 migrants came from Britain in the year to the end of March, down from 10,200 the previous year, while net PLT inflows in the latest year also came from India (4200), the Philippines (3300), Fiji (2500), South Africa (2100), China (1900) and Germany (1600).

Meanwhile, the 250,800 short term overseas visitor arrivals last month were up 11,600, or 5 per cent, on March 2007.

Seasonally adjusted visitor arrivals were steady between February and March, following an increase of 5 per cent between January and February, SNZ said.

The number of visitors from Australia was up by 6700, or 8 per cent, last month compared with March 2007, helped by the earlier timing of the Easter holidays.

Visitor numbers from Britain were up by 2800 or 8 per cent, from China up by 1800 or 20 per cent and from the United States up by 1400 or 6 per cent.

Cruise passengers accounted for most of the increase from the US, and together with new air services between Vancouver and Auckland contributed to 900, or 16 per cent, more visitor arrivals from Canada, SNZ said.

Visitor arrivals from Korea were down 3000 or 31 per cent, and from Japan down 1300 or 10 per cent.

For the year to the end of March 2008, 2.5 million visitors arrived, up 51,900 or 2 per cent from the March 2007 year.

Visitors from Australia were up 56,500 or 6 per cent for the year, while numbers from China rose 10,000 or 9 per cent, and from Canada were up 5200 or 11 per cent.

Numbers from Korea were down 19,800 or 18 per cent for the year, with those from Japan down 13,600 or 10 per cent, and from Britain down 9600 or 3 per cent.

- NZPA