People are leaving New Zealand in record numbers as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high and economic growth is anaemic, government statistics show.
Data released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday showed that 131,200 people departed New Zealand in the year ended June 2024, provisionally the highest on record for an annual period. Around a third of these were headed to Australia.
While net migration, the number of those arriving minus those leaving, remains at high levels, economists also expect this to wane as the number of foreign nationals wanting to move to New Zealand falls due to the softer economy.
The data showed of those departing 80,174 were citizens, which was almost double the numbers seen leaving prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s your goal here? What are you trying to accomplish right now?
I’m not trying to accomplish anything. You’re the one making demands and getting angry at me about things only you are responsible for.
Why?
I’m sorry, I cannot explain to you why you do the things you do.
Why are you not trying to accomplish anything?
I don’t even understand the question. Because… I’m not? It’s like asking why I’m not hopping on one leg. It’s just not something I’m doing.
But you are continuing to reply. Why?
You keep asking me questions. It seems courteous to answer them.
What changed between now, when it seems courteous to answer questions, and upthread, when you evaded answering my initial one?