Chinese arrivals help drive record New Zealand migrant gains
Xinhua, April 21, 2016 Adjust font size:
Chinese have been the largest group of non-New Zealand migrants in the year ending March, driving record arrival numbers in New Zealand, according to figures from the government statistics agency on Thursday.
The net gain of 67,600 in total migrant numbers for the year ending March continued 20 straight months of record gains, said Statistics New Zealand.
Migrant arrivals drove the new high, with 124,100 migrants arriving in the March 2016 year, but a quarter of them were New Zealand citizens returning, said a commentary from the agency.
The net gain in migrants from Australia hit 1,900, the highest annual net gain from Australia in almost 25 years, but most were New Zealand citizens returning.
Australia led the increase in migrant arrivals, up by 2,100 to 25,800.
China accounted for the second highest number of migrant arrivals at 11,700, up by 1,700 year on year, while the net gain was 9,600. Endit