Stay-at-homes push population up

Despite a drop in migrant arrivals, New Zealand has had its biggest population jump since 2004 because fewer people are leaving.

Statistics New Zealand figures yesterday showed the country gained more than 20,000 net immigrants in the year to November, up from last year's 3569, because there were 17,300 fewer long-term departures.

"The latest annual net migration total is the highest since the July 2004 year," said Acting Government Statistician Dallas Welch.

The increase in that year was 20,600.

In the year to November, net arrivals totalled 20,021.

Arrivals of people intending to stay for a year or more and New Zealand residents returning after an absence of 12 months or more dropped by 2.4 per cent but permanent and long term departures fell by 27 per cent.

Asia continues to be the largest contributor of immigrants to New Zealand, with a net 16,285, followed by Europe with 13,992 and Africa and the Middle East with 2508.

This was offset by 15,727 more departures arrivals among people from Oceania.

Fifteen hundred fewer people moved to Australia, and 200 fewer to Britain.

Total departures have fallen at least 1000 each month since February, compared with the same month of the previous year.

About 34,100 left for Australia, down from record highs of 35,400 in the year to January, but this was offset by 14,600 arrivals from Australia.

Two-thirds of these were New Zealand citizens returning home.

The largest number of migrant arrivals come from Britain (9200), India (5900), China (3700) and the Philippines and Fiji (2400 each).

Seasonally adjusted figures show net migration dropped slightly to 1780 in November from 2140 in October, but this was up from the net departure of 10 in November last year.

Housing forecasters and the Reserve Bank closely watch net immigration figures to gain an indication of housing demand.

Influxes in 2002, 2003 and 2004 helped drive up housing prices. But those increases came from more migrant arrivals rather than a lack of departures.

Interest.co.nz, which calculated BNZ's home loan affordability measure, says home affordability is already at its worst levels nationally since November last year.

This had degraded more quickly late this year than at any time since the early 2007 peak in housing boom.