Kiwis still leaving for Australia in thousands despite rise in returnees

Auckland (The NZ Today)

The number of New Zealanders returning from Australia has increased over the past year, but the overall flow of Kiwis moving across the Tasman remains significantly higher, official figures show.

Data from Statistics New Zealand shows that in the year ending December 2025, around 19,000 New Zealand citizens returned from Australia, an increase of 14 percent compared with the previous year.

However, about 47,500 Kiwis left New Zealand for Australia during the same period, resulting in a net loss of around 28,500 New Zealanders to Australia.

The figures became a point of debate during Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s regular interview on RNZ’s Morning Repor, where he discussed National’s policies aimed at improving housing affordability and encouraging more Kiwis to stay in the country.

When asked whether the Government’s policies would help reduce the number of New Zealanders leaving, Luxon said the number of people returning from Australia had increased and argued that fewer Kiwis were departing each month.

“The good news is Kiwis returning home from Australia is up, and Kiwis leaving each and every month is down,” Luxon said.

However, the figures raised by RNZ showed that while departures had slightly declined, the number of people leaving remained much higher than those coming back.

The Prime Minister’s office later clarified that Luxon’s comments were referring to the trend of monthly departures rather than suggesting that the total number of Kiwis leaving was lower than the number returning.

A spokesperson said recent data showed more New Zealanders were choosing to return home and fewer were leaving, suggesting the overall migration picture for New Zealand citizens was improving.

Despite the increase in returnees, Australia continues to remain a major destination for New Zealanders seeking work and lifestyle opportunities, with thousands making the move each year.