KEY POINTS:
More people are leaving New Zealand, than are arriving.
9000 people shifted to New Zealand in the year to July, the first time it has been below 10,000 since the March 2006 year.
The reduction could be another indicator that the economy is slowing, with new long term arrivals seen as boosting the economy as they set up households.
Publishing the figures today, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said there was a net outflow of 29,500 New Zealand citizens in the year ended July, the highest in a July year since a net outflow of 40,800 in 2001.
Non-New Zealand citizens recorded a net inflow of 38,400 in the July 2007 year, the highest since the July 2003 year.
Seasonally adjusted, there was a net permanent and long term arrivals inflow of 400 last month.
The series had varied around that level since January, having generally been above 1000 for the months from December 2005 to December 2006, SNZ said.
For short term overseas visitor arrivals, numbers were up 4 per cent to 173,000, compared to July 2006.
Despite the increase from a year ago, the July 2007 total was still just below the 173,300 visitor arrivals in July 2004, SNZ said.
The increase last month was mainly due to 9700, or 15 per cent, more visitors from Australia. Visitor numbers from the United States were down 2700, or 17 per cent, from Japan they were down 1200, or 12 per cent, and from Korea down 1100, or 11 per cent.
Seasonally adjusted visitor arrivals decreased by 2 per cent between June and July.
For the year to the end of July, 2.46 million visitors arrived, up 87,700, or 4 per cent, from the previous year.
Visitor numbers from Australia were up 49,200, or 6 per cent, from China they were up 19,000, or 19 per cent, and from Britain up 11,200, or 4 per cent.
Numbers from Japan were down 18,500 or 13 per cent.
- NZPA
