More New Zealanders move to Australia in past year: statistics

More New Zealanders move to Australia in past year: statistics

New Zealand's immigration growth was its lowest in almost 10 years in the year to the end of August, as more New Zealanders left to live in Australia, the government statistics agency announced Wednesday.

In the year ended August, New Zealand had a net migration gain of 2,300, down from 14,500 the previous year, according to Statistics New Zealand.

The figure was below the average annual net migration gain of 12,000 over the last 20 years and is the lowest since the October 2001 year, when it was 1,700.

"The decrease in net migration, compared with 2010, was mainly due to an increase in departures to Australia," said a report released by the agency.

The net flow of migrants from New Zealand to Australia was 2, 700 in August, the highest recorded for an August month since 2008, when it was 2,900.

The devastating Feb. 22 earthquake in Christchurch continued to result in an exodus of residents. Unadjusted figures showed 700 city residents left to live abroad in August, up from 500 in August last year.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, however, last month saw a net gain of 200 permanent and long-term migrants to New Zealand. Monthly net migration had been negative since March, when departures from Christchurch jumped following the earthquake that left at least 181 people dead.

Editor: Chen Zhi

English.news.cn   2011-09-21 15:04:51    FeedbackPrintRSS
WELLINGTON, Sept. 21 (Xinhua)