Migration contributed an estimated net gain of 6,746 people to New Zealand’s population in February, up 42% compared with February last year.
This change was primarily driven by a reduction in the number of people leaving New Zealand long-term compared with the same month a year earlier.
According to the latest migration estimates from Statistics New Zealand, 14,140 people arrived in New Zealand for long-term stays in February, an increase of 1.3% compared with February last year. In the same period, 7,394 people departed long-term, a decrease of 19.8% compared with February last year.
These flows resulted in a net migration gain of 6,746 people for the month.
For the 12 months to February this year, the estimated net migration gain was 25,173 people, an increase of 42% compared with the 12 months to February last year. This equates to an average population increase of 484 people per week due to migration over the period.
Long-term migration of New Zealand citizens continues to contribute significantly to overall migration figures. Statistics New Zealand estimates that 62,717 New Zealand citizens left the country long-term in the 12 months to February this year, a decrease of 4,579 (-6.8%) compared with the previous 12-month period.
Over the same period, an estimated 26,279 New Zealand citizens returned after an extended stay overseas, an increase of 2,411 (10.1%) compared with the 12 months to February 2025.
This resulted in a net loss of 36,438 New Zealand citizens over the 12 months to February this year, compared with a net loss of 43,429 in the previous 12-month period, a decrease of 16.1%.
For non-New Zealand citizens, there was an estimated net migration gain of 61,612 over the same period, an increase of 0.7% compared with the 12 months to February 2025.