MigrantoImmigrants in New Zealand
1.4M foreigners live in New Zealand — 26% of the country's population
Immigrants in New Zealand by country
The 3 largest groups make up 40% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 254524 |
| India | 149677 |
| China | 145906 |
| Philippines | 107622 |
| South Africa | 101970 |
| Australia | 89129 |
| Fiji | 70552 |
| Samoa | 63075 |
| USA | 32863 |
| South Korea | 31878 |
| Tonga | 29981 |
| Malaysia | 23224 |
| Sri Lanka | 20823 |
| Netherlands | 16997 |
| Germany | 16172 |
| Hong Kong | 13920 |
| Canada | 13149 |
| Vietnam | 12670 |
| Japan | 12621 |
| Thailand | 12405 |
| Cook Islands | 12403 |
| Brazil | 11421 |
| Taiwan | 11147 |
| Zimbabwe | 9140 |
| Ireland | 8989 |
| Russia | 8732 |
| Cambodia | 8231 |
| Indonesia | 7817 |
| Singapore | 7784 |
| France | 7445 |
| Pakistan | 6954 |
| Nepal | 6832 |
| Afghanistan | 6706 |
| Chile | 6116 |
| Argentina | 5878 |
| Iran | 5632 |
| Iraq | 5423 |
| Colombia | 4324 |
| Niue | 3957 |
| Myanmar | 3834 |
| Bangladesh | 3499 |
| Switzerland | 3291 |
| Italy | 3256 |
| Kiribati | 3015 |
| UAE | 2976 |
| Ukraine | 2597 |
| Czech Republic | 2569 |
| Poland | 2511 |
By region of origin
43% of immigrants come from Asia
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Key facts
Immigrants in New Zealand in numbers
1 in 3 people born in Samoa lives in New Zealand
63.1K people born in Samoa live in New Zealand — 28.93% of the population of Samoa.
People born in the Philippines are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in the Philippines living in New Zealand has grown 107% since 2015, from 52K to 107.6K.
53% of all emigrants from Samoa live in New Zealand
No other country has more people born in Samoa.
Immigration drives population growth
45% of the population growth of New Zealand since 1990 came from immigrants.
Immigrants come from a wider range of countries than in 1990
The largest group's share fell from 43% to 18%.
The share of immigrants from Europe has declined since 1990
52% of immigrants came from Europe in 1990, compared with 23.5% today.
Immigrant population in New Zealand over time
Foreigners living in New Zealand, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 515526 |
| 1995 | 562189 |
| 2000 | 644222 |
| 2005 | 815245 |
| 2010 | 911640 |
| 2015 | 1078979 |
| 2020 | 1279199 |
| 2024 | 1391637 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in New Zealand, by year
| Year | British | Indians | Chinese | Filipinos | South Africans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 223164 | 9270 | 11250 | 3748 | 7375 |
| 1995 | 218465 | 12386 | 18535 | 6618 | 10863 |
| 2000 | 217509 | 19797 | 36325 | 9714 | 24072 |
| 2005 | 240043 | 40298 | 82113 | 14587 | 39560 |
| 2010 | 250852 | 58441 | 89033 | 29232 | 49660 |
| 2015 | 257164 | 91412 | 115315 | 51952 | 62541 |
| 2020 | 257626 | 129231 | 144287 | 82331 | 82625 |
| 2024 | 254524 | 149677 | 145906 | 107622 | 101970 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in New Zealand
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in New Zealand
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in New Zealand?
Around 1.4M immigrants live in New Zealand — the world's #47 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of New Zealand are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 26% of the population of New Zealand — that's 1.4M out of a total population of 5.3M.
Where do most immigrants in New Zealand come from?
Most immigrants in New Zealand come from United Kingdom, India and China — these three countries account for about 40% of all immigrants.
How many British live in New Zealand?
Around 254.5K British live in New Zealand — about 18% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in New Zealand growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in New Zealand has grown from 1.1M to 1.4M, about 29%.
Where does the data on immigrants in New Zealand come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in New Zealand. Their children born in New Zealand are not included.
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Living in New Zealand
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