Otago's population centre is rapidly moving inland. Within 15 years, the population of Inland Otago, encompassing the golden triangle of Queenstown, Wānaka, and Cromwell, could exceed Dunedin's population.
Population growth nationally accelerated from 0.1%pa in the June 2022 year to 2.1%pa growth in 2023. Of New Zealand’s 67 territorial authorities, 65 recorded growth, with only Buller and the Chatham Islands showing decline.
Often in New Zealand we limit our discussions of competition for labour to domestic and transtasman issues, but this is a global challenge folks! What's the data show and what can be done about it?
Net migration figures released this morning showed that immigration remains high, but has moderated somewhat from its February/March peak. Today's result is likely to further reassure the Reserve Bank that short-term inflation is unlikely to be exacerbated by a sharper spiking from new migrants' demand.
In the past 6 months, New Zealand's working age population increased by an extraordinary 59,100 people. This data highlights that the current migration boom is being fueled by people who are here to work!
Net migration into New Zealand has reached a record level for non-New Zealand citizens. Quite the scene-setter for Budget 2023, where the government is trying to tighten the belt, at a time when it also needs to be lifting investment in closing infrastructure deficits and delivering essential services!
A recent report by Benje Patterson estimates that there were 272,328 guest nights by silver tourists on the West Coast at the pre-Covid tourism peak, which equated to 21% of all guest nights in the region. The silver tourism economy, defined as touristic activity by people aged 65 years and over, represents a key growth opportunity for tourism in the West Coast.
The silver tourism economy is a big deal for New Zealand – with silver tourists representing one in five travellers across the country. Silver tourists are travellers aged 65 years and older. As a cohort these older travellers are often overlooked, but silver tourists represent a key growth opportunity for tourism across our regions.
People have been leaving New Zealand as the borders have reopened. But that isn’t the end of the story for regional population growth. Taking an even closer look at the regions shows that people are not only leaving New Zealand, but are also migrating within the country.
Hordes of Sydney residents are upping sticks and heading for the good life in the regions. It’s interesting to see that the same trend is also happening on this side of the Tasman. What do we have in common?
People are leaving Auckland in their droves and making a life for themselves in the regions. Over the June 2021 year, Auckland lost a net 13,500 people to other parts of New Zealand. The exodus is being driven by a combination of ‘push’, ‘pull’, and ‘enabling’ factors.
Social issues stemming from deteriorating housing affordability and a lack of new homes have been key topics of debate over recent years. Census 2018 helps show where in New Zealand household occupancy rates have deteriorated the most since 2013.