Net migration sinks to lowest level in decades

Net migration fell to its lowest level in more than a decade, excluding the pandemic, as arrivals cooled and kiwis sought better opportunities in Australia — a result that's likely to figure in this year's election campaign.

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The country recorded a net migration gain of 14,200 in 2025, down 9,600 from a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand said yesterday in Wellington. That marked the smallest annual increase since 2013, outside 2021, when borders were largely closed during the Covid-19 outbreak.