New Zealand: for every 1,000 residents, 24 people arrive and 22 leave in a year — migration barely changes the population
In 2025 the difference between arrivals and departures was just 2.2 per 1,000 residents, while moves in both directions totalled 46 per 1,000, 21 times more. The net figure alone hides this movement.
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The same net migration can hide very different movement: almost all arrivals are offset by departures.
One percentage scale relative to 2010: 0% is the starting value, +100% is a doubling, −50% is a halving. Lines show the yearly path; on a short screen, bars show the change to 2025. Equal distances mean equal relative changes. For shares, this is relative change, not percentage points. Gaps are not filled; original values and units are below.
- Immigration rate per 1,000 people a year
23.114 (2010) → 24.272 (2025)
- Emigration rate per 1,000 people a year
23.178 (2010) → 22.089 (2025)
Start: 2010; end: the latest year up to 2025 with every series (2025). Published values, no gap filling or smoothing. Thresholds select a story and do not establish statistical significance.
Registered arrivals and departures from national statistics or Eurostat (the source is given with the values below), not a UN estimate. One person may move more than once a year. Departures are usually recorded less completely than arrivals.
A question for this picture
For housing, schools and jobs, which matters more: the net figure or the people actually arriving and leaving?