Nearly 120,000 Kiwis left last year as population growth from immigrants to NZ slows

Friday, 13 February 2026

Nearly 120,000 people left NZ to live elsewhere in 2025.

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders left the country in 2025.

The latest migration figures from Stats NZ on Friday showed 119,800 Kiwis left last year, compared to 2024 when 118,500 people departed.

New Zealand’s net migration gain in 2025 was the lowest for a calendar year since 2013, excluding the Covid-19 year of 2021.

Some are alarmed, others are very worried, and most are pointing the finger at their political opponents. Here's a montage of MPs' reactions to the record high number of Kiwis moving overseas for a better life.

The country gained 14,200 more people than it lost in 2025, according to Stats NZ, with 134,000 arrivals and 119,800 departures. That’s lower than 2024, when net migration was 23,800.

On average, New Zealand has gained 30,600 people a year from migration between 2001 and 2025.

“Annual net migration fell from a record 135,500 in the October 2023 year to a provisional low of 8600 in the August 2025 year, before increasing in late 2025,” said international migration statistics spokesperson Bryan Downes.

The “brain drain” of Kiwis leaving to live offshore was continuing, but at a slightly slower pace than earlier.

Migration rates, with net migration in red.

The fall in net migration in 2025 compared with 2024 was driven by 6% fewer migrant arrivals, while migrant departures rose 1% to a provisional record for a calendar year, Downes said.

Visitor arrivals to NZ

Separate figures released by Stats NZ on Friday showed visitor arrivals to Aotearoa passed 3.5 million in the December 2025 year, up 195,600 (6%) from the December 2024 year.

“The December 2025 year was the first annual period to exceed 3.5 million overseas visitor arrivals since the March 2020 year,” Downes said.

“The increase in overseas visitors to New Zealand in 2025 coincided with a 4% increase in flights into the country compared with 2024.”

Visitors from other countries:

Australia led the increase in visitor arrivals in 2025 from 2024.

– Australia up 136,500 (10%)

– United States was up 15,200 (4%)

– China was up 13,300 (5%)