Visitor arrivals
Monthly visitor arrivals
Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 219,900 in November 2009, up 600 or less than 1 percent from November 2008 (219,300). The November 2009 figure is 10,000 fewer than the high for a November month (229,900 in 2006).
The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 132,400 in November 2009, up less than 1 percent from November 2008 (131,800). The average length of stay of visitor arrivals was 23 days in November 2009, up from 22 days in November 2008, while the median length of stay (half stay shorter, and half stay longer than this duration) increased from 9 to 10 days.
Monthly visitors by source country
In November 2009, visitor arrivals from Australia were up 7,300 (9 percent) compared with November 2008. A holiday (up 6,700 or 24 percent), visiting friends and relatives (up 2,500 or 9 percent), and business (up 1,300 or 10 percent) were the main travel purposes contributing to this increase. However, there were fewer travellers coming to attend conventions or conferences (down 2,900 or 53 percent).
There were increases from all Australian states and territories except ACT and Tasmania, with the largest increases coming from New South Wales (up 3,400 or 12 percent), Queensland (up 1,600 or 8 percent), and Victoria (up 1,100 or 6 percent).
In contrast, there were fewer visitor arrivals from the United States (down 2,400 or 11 percent), including 1,700 fewer cruise passengers. There were also fewer visitor arrivals from Canada (down 900 or 15 percent), Ireland (down 600 or 33 percent), and Samoa (down 600 or 29 percent), compared with November 2008.
There was also a drop of 600 (down 12 percent) in visitor arrivals from Korea. This compares with decreases of at least 1,200 visitors from Korea which were recorded each month between September 2008 and October 2009. Visitors from China in November 2009 were down 400 (3 percent), compared with November 2008. This follows increases in September and October 2009, compared with the same months in 2008.
Note:
Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly visitor arrival data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on visitor arrivals from 10 major source countries.
Annual visitor arrivals
During the November 2009 year, there were 2.439 million visitor arrivals, down 14,300 (1 percent) from the November 2008 year. A holiday was the main travel reason for 1.176 million visitors to New Zealand in the November 2009 year, down 3,600 (less than 1 percent) from the previous year. Another 778,400 arrived to visit friends and relatives (up 39,200 or 5 percent), and 229,800 arrived for business (down 28,100 or 11 percent).
Annual visitors by source country
There were 1.069 million visitor arrivals from Australia in the November 2009 year, up 99,600 (10 percent) compared with the November 2008 year. However, fewer visitors came from Korea (down 29,300 or 36 percent), the United Kingdom (down 28,900 or 10 percent), Japan (down 25,200 or 24 percent), the United States (down 17,600 or 8 percent), and China (down 7,600 or 7 percent).
The number of visitor arrivals from Japan (78,900) in the November 2009 year was less than half the annual high (174,800) recorded in the January 2003 year. Similarly, the number of visitor arrivals from Korea (52,500) was less than half the annual high (130,700) recorded in the April 1997 year.
Departures of New Zealand residents
Monthly resident departures
New Zealand residents departed on 158,400 short-term overseas trips in November 2009, up 3,200 (2 percent) on November 2008. November 2009 is the fourth consecutive month in which departures of New Zealand residents have been greater than the same month of the previous year, after nine months of decline.
In November 2009, there were more trips to India (up 1,100 or 22 percent), the United States (up 1,000 or 19 percent), Indonesia (up 600 or 142 percent), and Samoa (up 500 or 17 percent). There were fewer trips to the Cook Islands (down 800 or 18 percent) and Australia (down 800 or 1 percent).
The estimated average number of New Zealand residents who were temporarily overseas during November 2009 was 87,300 per day, down 3 percent from the average of 89,600 in November 2008. The average intended absence of residents who departed in November 2009 was 23 days, unchanged from November 2008, while the median absence decreased from 10 to 9 days.
Annual resident departures
Short-term departures of New Zealand residents in the November 2009 year numbered 1.921 million, down 58,400 (3 percent) from the November 2008 year.
Trips to Australia (942,600), the most popular destination, were down 7,600 (1 percent) from the previous year. There were also fewer trips to Fiji (down 9,300 or 9 percent), the United Kingdom (down 6,500 or 7 percent), and the United States (down 5,900 or 6 percent).
A holiday was the main travel reason for 775,900 New Zealand residents who departed in the November 2009 year, down 52,200 (6 percent) from the previous year. Another 668,100 departed to visit friends and relatives (up 35,700 or 6 percent). Departures for business purposes (256,000) were down 27,900 (10 percent) from the year ended November 2008.
Note: Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly resident departure data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on resident departures to 10 major destination countries.
Permanent and long-term migration
Definition
Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals include people who arrive in New Zealand intending to stay for a period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus New Zealand residents returning after an absence of 12 months or more. The former group may include people with New Zealand residency, as well as students and holders of work permits. PLT departures include New Zealand residents departing for an intended period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus overseas visitors departing New Zealand after a stay of 12 months or more.
Monthly PLT migration
PLT arrivals exceeded departures by 2,500 in November 2009, compared with 1,000 in November 2008. There were 1,600 (27 percent) fewer PLT departures, including 1,500 fewer departures to Australia, and 200 fewer departures to the United Kingdom. Since February 2009, PLT departures have fallen by at least 1,000 each month compared with the same month of the previous year.
PLT arrivals were down 200 from November 2008, resulting from 400 fewer arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens, partly offset by 200 more arrivals of New Zealand citizens. Arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens have been declining since April 2009, compared with the same months in 2008.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, PLT arrivals exceeded PLT departures by 1,800 in November 2009, down from 2,100 in October 2009, and slightly below the average of 1,900 experienced since February 2009.
In November 2009, there were net inflows of migrants from the United Kingdom (1,400), India (300), and China, Germany, France, and the United States (each 200). There was a net outflow of 800 PLT migrants to Australia, the lowest outflow to Australia for a November month since 2002, and a decrease from the net outflows of 2,600 in November 2008 and 1,900 in November 2007.
Annual PLT migration
A drop in departures was the major contributor to the increase in annual net migration, up from 3,600 in the November 2008 year, to 20,000 in the November 2009 year. In the year ended November 2009, there were 66,500 PLT departures, down 17,300 (21 percent), from the November 2008 year. Over the same period, there were 86,500 PLT arrivals, down 800 (1 percent). The latest annual net migration total is the highest since the July 2004 year (20,600).
The net PLT migration gain of 20,000 in the year ended November 2009 was higher than the annual average of 11,400 for the December years 1990–2008. Net PLT migration varied substantially within this 19-year period. The net gain peaked at 30,200 in the April 1996 year and again at 42,500 in the May 2003 year. Net outflows were experienced during most of 1998–2001, with the largest being a net loss of 13,200 people in the February 2001 year.
Annual PLT migration by country
In the year ended November 2009, there were net PLT inflows from the United Kingdom (9,200), India (5,900), China (3,700), the Philippines and Fiji (each 2,400), and Germany (1,600).
The net PLT outflow to Australia was 19,500 in the November 2009 year, compared with a net outflow of 35,300 in the November 2008 year. The annual net outflow to Australia has been decreasing since the record highs of 35,400 in the December 2008 and January 2009 years. The latest net outflow resulted from 34,100 PLT departures to Australia, partly offset by 14,600 PLT arrivals from Australia. Almost 9 in every 10 PLT departures to Australia were New Zealand citizens (29,800). Of the PLT arrivals from Australia, two-thirds were New Zealand citizens (9,800), similar to levels observed over the past decade.
Annual PLT migration by citizenship
A net inflow of 37,200 non-New Zealand citizens and a net outflow of 17,100 New Zealand citizens were recorded in the year ended November 2009.
PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens numbered 25,800 in the November 2009 year, above the average of 23,400 recorded for the 1979–2008 December years, but below peaks in the March 1991 year (29,600) and the October 2003 year (27,800). Arrivals of New Zealand citizens tend to show relatively little variation year-to-year, and the variation that does occur often follows trends in departures of New Zealand citizens a few years earlier.
PLT departures of New Zealand citizens have shown much more annual variation than arrivals of New Zealand citizens. The highest number of departures of New Zealand citizens was 64,300 in the October 1979 year, but by the January 1984 year, this had decreased to a low of 24,400. There were 43,000 PLT departures of New Zealand citizens in the November 2009 year, down 13,700 from the previous November year.
PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were less than 30,000 a year between 1979 and 1992, then doubled to reach a peak of 58,800 in the July 1996 year. Another peak of 72,800 was reached in the February 2003 year. The changes in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens reflect changes in arrivals of temporary workers (including working holidaymakers) and overseas students staying for 12 months or more, as well as arrivals for residence. Although arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens have generally been increasing since 2005, the 60,700 arrivals in the November 2009 year were down 3,300 from the November 2008 year.
PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens have generally been increasing since 1984, corresponding with the general increase in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens. There were 23,500 PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens in the November 2009 year, up 600 from the November 2008 year.
Annual PLT migration by permit type
In the November 2009 year, 29,800 PLT arrivals were Australian or New Zealand citizens who did not require a permit to remain in New Zealand. Of the 56,800 PLT arrivals who did require a permit, 22,000 arrived on work permits, 15,800 arrived on student permits, 13,800 arrived on residence permits, and 4,600 arrived on visitor permits. Compared with the November 2008 year, there were more PLT arrivals on student permits (up 500), but fewer arrivals on work permits (down 1,900), and on residence permits (down 800). The majority of residence approvals in recent years have been granted onshore, to people who arrived on other permit types.
Recent international travel and migration articles
Statistics NZ has recently released a number of articles on international travel and migration topics. These can be accessed on the International travel and migration articles page on the Statistics NZ website. The most recent releases are:
Occupation data
From October 2009, Statistics NZ has adopted the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) for classifying the occupations of permanent and long-term migrants. A discussion of the reasons for, and implications of, the changes is on the Statistics NZ website. As a result, there are new occupation tables on Infoshare, with details given on the Infoshare data changes by date webpage.
For technical information contact:
Nick Thomson
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: demography@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
International Travel and Migration: December 2009 will be released on 4 February 2010.