Dataset contains counts for territorial authority local board area (TALB) of usual residence by TALB of usual residence address one year ago and five years ago, and by life cycle age group, for the census usually resident population count, 2023 Census.

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This dataset compares usual residence at the 2023 Census with usual residence one and five years earlier to show population mobility and internal migration patterns of people within New Zealand.

‘Usual residence address’ is the address of the dwelling where a person considers that they usually live.

‘Usual residence one year ago address’ identifies an individual’s usual residence on 7 March 2022, which may be different to their current usual residence on census night 2023 (7 March 2023).

‘Usual residence five years ago address’ identifies an individual’s usual residence on 6 March 2018, which may be different to their current usual residence on census night 2023 (7 March 2023).

Note: This dataset only includes usual residence address information for individuals whose usual residence address one year ago and five years ago is available at TALB.

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Life cycle age groups are categorised as:

• under 15 years
• 15–29 years
• 30–64 years
• 65 years and over.

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This dataset can be used in conjunction with the following spatial files by joining on the TALB code values:

• Territorial authority local board (generalised)

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Footnotes

Geographical boundaries

Statistical standard for geographic areas 2023 (updated December 2023) has information about geographic boundaries as of 1 January 2023. Address data from 2013 and 2018 Censuses was updated to be consistent with the 2023 areas. Due to the changes in area boundaries and coding methodologies, 2013 and 2018 counts published in 2023 may be slightly different to those published in 2013 or 2018.

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Subnational census usually resident population

The census usually resident population count of an area (subnational count) is a count of all people who usually live in that area and were present in New Zealand on census night. It excludes visitors from overseas, visitors from elsewhere in New Zealand, and residents temporarily overseas on census night. For example, a person who usually lives in Christchurch city and is visiting Wellington city on census night will be included in the census usually resident population count of Christchurch city. 

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Population counts

Stats NZ publishes a number of different population counts, each using a different definition and methodology. Population statistics – user guide has more information about different counts. 

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Rows excluded from the dataset

Rows show TALB of usual residence by TALB of usual residence one year ago and five years ago, by life cycle age group. Cells with a number less than six have been confidentialised. Responses to categories unable to be mapped, such as response unidentifiable, not stated, and Auckland (not further defined), have also been excluded from this dataset.

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About the 2023 Census dataset

For information on the 2023 dataset see Using a combined census model for the 2023 Census. We combined data from the census forms with administrative data to create the 2023 Census dataset, which meets Stats NZ's quality criteria for population structure information. We added real data about real people to the dataset where we were confident the people who hadn’t completed a census form (which is known as admin enumeration) will be counted. We also used data from the 2018 and 2013 Censuses, administrative data sources, and statistical imputation methods to fill in some missing characteristics of people and dwellings.

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Data quality

The quality of data in the 2023 Census is assessed using the quality rating scale and the quality assurance framework to determine whether data is fit for purpose and suitable for release. Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census has more information.

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Quality rating of a variable

The quality rating of a variable provides an overall evaluation of data quality for that variable, usually at the highest levels of classification. The quality ratings shown are for the 2023 Census unless stated. There is variability in the quality of data at smaller geographies. Data quality may also vary between censuses, for subpopulations, or when cross tabulated with other variables or at lower levels of the classification. Data quality ratings for 2023 Census variables has more information on quality ratings by variable.

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Age quality rating

Age is rated as very high quality.

Age – 2023 Census: Information by concept has more information, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Census usually resident population quality rating

The census usually resident population count is rated as very high quality.

Census usually resident population count – 2023 Census: Information by concept has more information, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Usual residence address quality rating

Usual residence address is rated as high quality.

Usual residence address – 2023 Census: Information by concept has more information, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Usual residence one year ago quality rating

Usual residence one year ago area is rated as high quality.

Usual residence one year ago – 2023 Census: Information by concept has more information, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Usual residence five years ago quality rating

Usual residence five years ago area is rated as high quality.

Usual residence five years ago – 2023 Census: Information by concept has more information, for example, definitions and data quality.

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Using data for good

Stats NZ expects that, when working with census data, it is done so with a positive purpose, as outlined in the Māori Data Governance Model (Data Iwi Leaders Group, 2023). This model states that "data should support transformative outcomes and should uplift and strengthen our relationships with each other and with our environments. The avoidance of harm is the minimum expectation for data use. Māori data should also contribute to iwi and hapū tino rangatiratanga”.

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Confidentiality

The 2023 Census confidentiality rules have been applied to 2013, 2018, and 2023 data. These rules protect the confidentiality of individuals, families, households, dwellings, and undertakings in 2023 Census data. Counts are calculated using fixed random rounding to base 3 (FRR3) and suppression of ‘sensitive’ counts less than six, where tables report multiple geographic variables and/or small populations. Individual figures may not always sum to stated totals. Applying confidentiality rules to 2023 Census data and summary of changes since 2018 and 2013 Censuses has more information about 2023 Census confidentiality rules.

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Symbol

-999 Confidential

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Inconsistencies in definitions

Please note that there may be differences in definitions between census classifications and those used for other data collections.

New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: China data was reported at 2,996.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,362.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: China data is updated monthly, averaging 410.500 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,272.000 Person in Feb 2023 and a record low of -1,657.000 Person in Nov 2019. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G009: International Migration: Net Migration: by Citizenship.

Abstract

These data consist of a long-term follow-up of applicants to a migration visa lottery. Tongan households were surveyed as migrants in New Zealand, or non-migrants in Tonga. It was used to examine the long-term impacts of international migration by comparing immigrants who had successful ballot entries in a migration lottery program, and first moved almost a decade ago, with people who had unsuccessful entries into those same ballots. It was additionally used to study how migrating from a poor country to a rich country affects economic beliefs, preference parameters, and household decision-making efficiency. In a ten-year follow-up survey of applicants to a migration lottery program we elicit risk and time preferences and pro-market beliefs for the migrants and the unsuccessful applicants. The successful and the unsuccessful applicants are each linked to closest relative households, who would stay in the home country if the applicant moved, to play lab-in-the-field games that measure intra-family trust and the efficiency of intra-family decision-making.

Geographic coverage

The survey covers Tongans who applied to the 2002-05 Pacific Access Category migration visa program, along with linked households of their family members. This involved surveying in both New Zealand and Tonga (along with a small number of surveys of movers to third countries).

Analysis unit

Data are collected at both the individual and household level

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Our population of interest consists of entrants to the 2002 to 2005 PAC migration lotteries. There were a total of 4,696 principal applicants of whom 367 were randomly selected as ballot winners (figure 2). Official records provided by the New Zealand immigration authorities in late 2012 show that 307 of these winners (84%) had residency applications approved and had ever migrated to New Zealand. The remaining 60 ballot winners did not migrate and are thus non-compliers to the treatment of migration.

Our main survey involved an extensive face-to-face interview, which also collected anthropometrics, blood pressure, peak lung flow, and included lab-in-the-field games. Of the 307 principal applicants ever migrating to New Zealand, 133 completed the full survey between late 2013 and the end of 2014. In order to bolster our sample size, in early 2015 we fielded a shortened survey that did not include health measurements or the lab-in-field games. This was mainly done as a telephone interview and was designed to reach those who had on-migrated beyond New Zealand or were located in parts of New Zealand that were impractical for face-to-face interviewing, although we also learned, through snowball effects, of more migrants in our face-to-face survey area and gave them the short survey as well. Overall, 61 additional ballot winners who had ever migrated to New Zealand were given the short survey, including 11 who had now on-migrated to Australia (ten) and the UK (one). In total, we were able to survey 194 households with principal applicants who ever migrated to New Zealand after winning the ballot.

We had even less information available for the ballot losers and non-compliers since these individuals had not filled out residency applications. We therefore used the same surveying approach for these groups as we had in our previous survey, which was to sample from the same villages in Tonga from which our migrants originated. Out of 4329 ballot losers, 143 were administered the long form survey and 39 the short survey (of which nine had subsequently moved to New Zealand through alternative pathways, including by winning a later round of the PAC lottery). Finances limited us to this relatively small sample, but, based on our previous research, we judged that it would give us enough power to measure economically significant impacts. An advantage of surveying from the same origin villages is that we can implicitly control for any unobserved characteristics that vary spatially in Tonga. Finally, we have a small sample of nine non-compliers; six who received the long survey and three the short survey. This is out of a population of 60 non-compliers, which hence made it difficult to find many individuals in this group.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Four separate questionnaires were administered: - a survey for migrant households in New Zealand - a survey for non-migrant households in Tonga - a survey of linked partner households - a short survey

In the 2023 financial year, the net overseas migration of New Zealand nationals to Australia is estimated at 15.34 thousand emigrants. This marked a significant increase compared to the previous financial year.

New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Fiji data was reported at 220.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 280.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Fiji data is updated monthly, averaging 188.000 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,205.000 Person in May 2023 and a record low of -38.000 Person in Dec 2020. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Fiji data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G009: International Migration: Net Migration: by Citizenship.

Graph and download economic data for Net migration for New Zealand (SMPOPNETMNZL) from 1962 to 2017 about migration, New Zealand, Net, 5-year, and population.

New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Philippines data was reported at 700.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 542.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Philippines data is updated monthly, averaging 337.000 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,335.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -88.000 Person in Dec 2020. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Philippines data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G009: International Migration: Net Migration: by Citizenship.

Historical dataset showing New Zealand net migration by year from 1960 to 2024.

Analysis of ‘New Zealand Migration’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://www.kaggle.com/timoboz/migration-nz on 21 November 2021.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

Context

**This dataset shows the migration to and from New Zealand by country and citizenship from 1979 to 2016. **

Content

The columns in this dataset are:

• Measure: The signal type given in this row, one of: "Arrivals", "Departures", "Net"
• Country: Country from where people arrived into to New Zealand (for Measure = "Arrivals") or to where they left (for Measure = "Departures"). Contains special values "Not Stated" and "All countries" (grand total)
• Citizenship: Citizenship of the migrants, one of: "New Zealand Citizen", "Australian Citizen", "Total All Citizenships"
• Year: Year of the measurement
• Value: Number of migrants

Permanent and long-term arrivals include overseas migrants 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. Permanent and long-term 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. For arrival series, the country of residence is the country where a person arriving in New Zealand last lived for 12 months or more (country of last permanent residence). For departure series, the country of residence is the country where a person departing New Zealand intends to live for the next 12 months or more (country of next permanent residence).

Acknowledgements

Curated data by figure.nz, original data from Stats NZ. Dataset licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 - CC BY 4.0.

Inspiration

A good challenge would be to explain New Zealand migration flows as a function of the economic performance of New Zealand or other countries (combine with other datasets). The data could be possibly linked up with other data sources to predict general migration to/from countries based on external factors.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

This statistic displays the forecast of the net migration in New Zealand from 2018 to 2038, by ethnicity. The net migration of the Asian population in New Zealand is projected to be around ** thousand people by 2038.

New Zealand Migrant Arrival: Visa Type: Student data was reported at 5,864.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,497.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Migrant Arrival: Visa Type: Student data is updated monthly, averaging 1,119.000 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,036.000 Person in Feb 2023 and a record low of 0.000 Person in Jun 2003. New Zealand Migrant Arrival: Visa Type: Student data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G012: International Migration: by Visa Type.

New Zealand Net Migration data was reported at 8,794.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,672.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Net Migration data is updated monthly, averaging 2,232.500 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,628.000 Person in Mar 2023 and a record low of -4,451.000 Person in Dec 2021. New Zealand Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G008: International Migration.

New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Sri Lanka data was reported at 669.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 351.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Sri Lanka data is updated monthly, averaging 58.500 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 735.000 Person in Feb 2024 and a record low of -48.000 Person in Jan 2021. New Zealand Net Migration: Citizenship: Sri Lanka data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G009: International Migration: Net Migration: by Citizenship.

This bar chart displays net migration (people) by continent using the aggregation sum in New Zealand. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

This dataset contains selected series on immigration, emigration, population and trade drawn from published Statistics NZ and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data.

New Zealand Migrant Departure: Citizenship: United Kingdom data was reported at 269.000 Person in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 300.000 Person for Jan 2025. New Zealand Migrant Departure: Citizenship: United Kingdom data is updated monthly, averaging 408.500 Person from Jan 2001 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 290 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 696.000 Person in Mar 2011 and a record low of 116.000 Person in Jun 2020. New Zealand Migrant Departure: Citizenship: United Kingdom data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Stats NZ. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.G011: International Migration: Departure: by Citizenship.

This dataset contains selected series on immigration, emigration, population and trade drawn from published Statistics NZ and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data.

International travel and migration statistics count passengers arriving into and departing from New Zealand. Passengers are split into one of three passenger types: overseas visitors, New Zealand-resident travellers, and permanent and long-term migrants. Arrivals and departures of overseas visitors and New Zealand-resident travellers are key indicators of tourism and travel. Permanent and long-term migration is a component of New Zealand’s population change, along with births and deaths. Migration affects the composition of the population as well as population size. International travel and migration statistics are based on electronic arrival and departure records for each international passenger, supplied to Stats NZ by the New Zealand Customs Service. These electronic records include flight and passport details, such as date of travel, date of birth, sex, and country of citizenship.

Comprehensive dataset of 1 Immigration detention centres in New Zealand as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

International travel and migration statistics produced by Statistics New Zealand measure the number and characteristics of international arrivals into New Zealand, and international departures from New Zealand. This is obtained from electronic passport and flight records, along with details from arrival and departure cards for every passenger, supplied to Statistics NZ by the New Zealand Customs Service.