MigrantoNew Zealand Diaspora
679.8K New Zealanders live abroad — the #89 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 96% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Australia | 588088 |
| United Kingdom | 50762 |
| Canada | 10875 |
| China | 3811 |
| Japan | 3785 |
| Singapore | 3378 |
| Cook Islands | 2718 |
| Hong Kong | 2425 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1789 |
| Samoa | 1164 |
| South Africa | 1026 |
| Denmark | 1003 |
| Italy | 959 |
| American Samoa | 727 |
| Norway | 706 |
| Fiji | 631 |
| Malaysia | 592 |
| Greece | 530 |
| Chile | 400 |
| Niue | 342 |
| Vanuatu | 331 |
| Brazil | 320 |
| Finland | 299 |
| Hungary | 290 |
| Argentina | 255 |
| Brunei | 236 |
| Malta | 221 |
| Tokelau | 172 |
| New Caledonia | 122 |
| Iceland | 118 |
| Sri Lanka | 112 |
| Luxembourg | 112 |
| French Polynesia | 111 |
| Tajikistan | 107 |
| Croatia | 102 |
| Cyprus | 97 |
| Panama | 90 |
| Bulgaria | 87 |
| Isle of Man | 86 |
| Bolivia | 78 |
| Solomon Islands | 70 |
| East Timor | 69 |
| Cayman Islands | 69 |
| Slovakia | 68 |
| Kiribati | 59 |
| Portugal | 54 |
| Namibia | 53 |
| Falkland Islands | 37 |
| Slovenia | 32 |
| Estonia | 30 |
| Bhutan | 25 |
| Bahamas | 25 |
| Costa Rica | 24 |
| Eswatini | 23 |
| Maldives | 18 |
| Venezuela | 15 |
| Latvia | 12 |
| Lithuania | 12 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 11 |
| Liechtenstein | 6 |
| Nauru | 3 |
| Guinea | 0 |
| Saint Lucia | 0 |
By destination region
Oceania is the leading destination region at 88%
596.3K
55.5K
14.6K
10.9K
1.3K
1.1K
97
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from New Zealand.
Australia is the primary destination for emigrants
Australia attracts 87% of all emigrants from New Zealand, while the second-largest destination receives just 7%.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 8 residents of New Zealand has emigrated — 679.8K out of 5.3M, representing 12.9% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 329134 |
| 1995 | 381056 |
| 2000 | 454340 |
| 2005 | 518239 |
| 2010 | 620805 |
| 2015 | 675441 |
| 2020 | 679479 |
| 2024 | 679772 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Australia | United Kingdom | Canada | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 263301 | 39953 | 7382 | 1787 | 1174 |
| 1995 | 304515 | 47640 | 7925 | 2119 | 1970 |
| 2000 | 366287 | 56738 | 8499 | 2523 | 3132 |
| 2005 | 424120 | 60058 | 9315 | 3003 | 3743 |
| 2010 | 520509 | 62311 | 11496 | 3574 | 3272 |
| 2015 | 575163 | 58621 | 12381 | 3580 | 5518 |
| 2020 | 583769 | 54300 | 10929 | 3452 | 5855 |
| 2024 | 588088 | 50762 | 10875 | 3811 | 3785 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
New Zealand as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from New Zealand
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do New Zealanders move to?
Most New Zealanders have moved to Australia, United Kingdom and Canada — these three countries account for about 96% of all New Zealanders living abroad.
How many New Zealanders live abroad?
Around 679.8K New Zealanders live abroad, making it the #89-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of New Zealand lives abroad?
About 13% of the population of New Zealand lives abroad — that's 679.8K out of a total population of 5.3M.
How has emigration from New Zealand changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from New Zealand has changed from 675.4K to 679.8K people, a change of about 1%.
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