How new immigration policies could reverse NZ’s record exodus

Citizens and non-citizens alike are leaving NZ in record numbers. (Image: Getty)

Fri, 24 Jan 2025

New Zealand’s official exodus has reached a new record with 128,000 long-term departures in the year to November – provisionally the highest on record for an annual period.It’s not just NZ citizens who are leaving; high levels of non-NZ citizens are also departing, contributing to the record outflow of people seeking greener pastures.That’s driven net migration down to levels not seen since around 2012, when NZers crossed the Ditch to catch the tail end of the Australian mining boom.Unemployment is an obvious factor driv...

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