Migrant flows
Tony Alexander at BNZ writes:
For your guide, now that debate about migration soaring and the insular side of Kiwis is starting to be revealed again, here are the numbers showing who the migrants are.
Winston and others would have you believe they are mainly Chinese. The actual figures for the last year:
- Kiwis returning 28%
- UK 10.1%
- China 8.9%
- India 7.0%
- Australia 6.4%
- US 2.9%
So only 1 in 11 people migrating to NZ are Chinese.
Also of interest is the change, from the previous year. Here’s the change:
- France +16.4%
- Australia +12.7%
- Kiwis +8.3%
- China +3.2%
- Germany +2.2%
Alexander notes:
What I want to highlight is this. The gross inflow of migrants to New Zealand has risen by 3,410 or 4.1% in the past year. Pure Kiwis account for 1,870 or 55% of that change, Chinese account for 7% of that change – hence the idea that there is a soaring Chinese inflow driving the Auckland housing market is not accurate.
But they make a convenient scapegoat.