Kiwis are still leaving New Zealand in record numbers
New Zealand’s annual net migration rate fell to 10,600 for the year to August 2025.
There was a record net migration loss of 47,900 New Zealand citizens in August 2025.
Overall migrant arrivals dropped 16% to 138,600, while departures increased 13% to 127,900.
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New Zealand’s annual net migration rate has fallen again, according to new figures from Stats NZ.
At just 10,600 for the year to August 2025, the net number of additional migrants in the country appears to be a reversal from a return to growth in the year to July.
The August 2025 year provisionally saw two annual records for New Zealand citizens, Stats NZ said today.
There were 73,900 migrant departures, exceeding the previous record of 73,300 in July 2025 year.
That led to a record net migration loss of 47,900 Kiwis, exceeding the previous record of 47,100 in the July 2025 year.
For New Zealand citizens, the net migration loss of 47,900 in August 2025 is compared with a net migration loss of 44,900 in the August 2024 year.
Compared to a year earlier, overall migrant arrivals continued to fall at 138,600, down 16%.
Migrant departures were up 13% at 127,900.
The past two years have seen a massive drop-off in net migration numbers as large numbers of New Zealand citizens have departed and fewer migrants have arrived.
Annual migrant arrivals peaked at 234,800 in the year ended October 2023.
Annual net migration also peaked in the year ended October 2023, with a gain of 135,500.
The long-term average for August years (2002 to 2019) before Covid-19 is 119,900 migrant arrivals, 91,700 migrant departures, and a net migration gain of 28,200, Stats NZ said.
On a monthly basis, migrant arrivals were down 4% in August at 10,500.
Migrant departures were flat at 8900 (down less than 1%).
Monthly net migration represented a gain of 1600 compared with a gain of 2000 in July.
New Zealand’s weak labour market had driven migrant departures higher, said ASB senior economist Jane Turner.
It was now at a level consistent with the relative outperformance by Australia’s labour market (as measured by relative unemployment rates), she said.
“Meanwhile, we continue to see a fall in migrant arrivals as employment prospects in New Zealand remain weak relative to other migration destinations.”
The sharp decline in net immigration over the past two years had been a strong headwind for retail spending and for the demand for new housing construction, Turner said.
“We expect this trend will be slow to turn around and any lift in net immigration may be fairly limited by historical standards,” she said.
Citizens of India, China, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka drove net migration gains in the August 2025 year.
For migrant arrivals the largest groups were citizens from New Zealand at 26,000, followed by India (18,900), China (18,400), the Philippines (10,700) and Sri Lanka (6100).
For migrant departures the largest groups were citizens of New Zealand at 73,900, China: (7600), India (5500) and the UK (5100).
More citizens of the UK left the country than arrived in the year to 2025.
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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