New Zealand had a net migration gain of 22,600 people in the year to September 2026, up from 9,900 a year earlier, according to provisional estimates released by Stats NZ on 12 November.
There were 136,100 migrant arrivals, up 7 percent, and 113,500 migrant departures, down 3 percent. Stats NZ said citizens of India, China, the Philippines and Sri Lanka drove the gain.
Stats NZ counts someone as a migrant if they change their country of residence, staying in or leaving New Zealand for at least 12 of the next 16 months, whatever their visa or citizenship.
Which countries did migrants come from?
After returning New Zealanders (26,700), the largest groups of migrant arrivals by citizenship were:
- China: 19,100, up from about 14,800 the year before
- India: 17,500, little changed from 17,200
- Philippines: 11,100, up slightly from 10,900
- Sri Lanka: 4,300, down from about 6,200
Arrivals from Japan rose to about 2,200 from 1,400, and from South Korea to about 2,100. Nepal was about 2,400.
Some migrants also left. Stats NZ estimates 7,500 Chinese citizens, 5,600 Indian citizens and 2,700 Filipino citizens departed in the year. That left net gains of about 11,900 Indian citizens, 11,700 Chinese citizens, 8,500 Filipino citizens and 3,700 Sri Lankan citizens.
For China that is a jump from a net gain of about 7,800 a year earlier. For Sri Lanka it is a fall from about 5,500.
Country of citizenship is the passport someone used to cross the border, Stats NZ notes, which is not necessarily where they lived before or where they are going next.
What visas were migrants arriving on?
Stats NZ breaks down arrivals by the visa held or granted when the person arrived. People can change visas later, so these are not the same as visa approval numbers from Immigration New Zealand.
In the year to September:
- Work visas: 33,500, up from 27,800
- Student visas: 31,000, up from 28,100
- Visitor visas: 23,200
- Resident visas: 16,100, down from 17,900
Looking at where migrants lived before they came, India was the biggest source of migrants on work visas (about 4,100, up from 3,200), followed by China (3,900, up from 2,400) and the Philippines (3,000, up from 2,300).
China was the biggest source of student migrants (about 6,600), ahead of India (5,000). Student arrivals from Sri Lanka fell to about 1,700 from 2,600.
Fewer migrants arrived already holding residence. Those whose last home was the Philippines fell to about 1,300 from 1,800, and India to about 1,100 from 1,700. People who move from a work or student visa to residence while already living here are not counted again as arrivals.
Who is leaving?
More New Zealand citizens left than came back. Stats NZ estimates 64,500 New Zealand citizens departed and 26,700 returned, a net loss of 37,800. That was a little smaller than the 39,300 lost a year earlier.
Young people were a big part of it. RNZ reported, citing Stats NZ, that 15,800 New Zealand citizens aged 15 to 24 left, up 6 percent, giving a net loss of 11,500 in that age group, the largest of any age group. Stats NZ said this was particularly driven by 18 and 19-year-olds.
Australia remains the main destination. In the year to March 2026, the latest period with Australian data, 64 percent of New Zealand citizens who migrated left for Australia. Stats NZ said 35 percent of the New Zealand citizens who moved to Australia were born outside New Zealand, which includes migrants who became citizens here before moving on.
Why does this matter?
Migration numbers feed into debates about housing, jobs and immigration settings, especially with a new government still being formed after the election. Parties set out different immigration plans during the campaign, and some changes already announced, such as the Green List changes from March 2027, will affect particular occupations.
For families, the figures do not change any visa rules. Stats NZ data measures movement across the border after the fact, not how many visas are being approved.
Will these numbers change?
Yes. Stats NZ says estimates from June 2025 onwards are provisional, because it cannot yet tell whether some recent travellers will stay long enough to count as migrants. For the latest month, arrivals for August 2026 were revised up by 400 and departures down by 300.
Final figures are set about 17 months after the period they cover, so the September 2026 numbers could still move.
