So far in 2024, one of the largest migration trends since the pandemic started. An astounding 58% of New Zealand citizens emigrating from their home country have selected Australia as their new home. New Zealand is in deep economic trouble. In recent months, the country has seen a net migration loss of 30,000 people to Australia—the highest level in more than ten years. The lure of improved employment opportunities and increased earning potential lures young New Zealanders over the Tasman Sea. They are ambitious to pursue new opportunities and broaden their horizons.
One of those making the move is 24-year-old Hayden Fisher who switched from Wellington, New Zealand to Sydney. Fisher has since found work in a local bookstore, relishing in a 147 percent increase in his pay. His paid casual job in Wellington, NZ$22.70 (about A$19.85) an hour. He says he’s earning “well over double that” on the weekends down under. This financial incentive strikes a chord with many of his compatriots who are looking for better opportunities and quality of life.
Genevieve Fulton, 22, joined her in January moving to Melbourne. Similar to Fisher, she recognizes the gap in pay between the two countries. “New Zealand is a beautiful country, but … a bunch of beautiful mountains can’t really pay your rent and pay your bills,” she stated. Fulton’s former position in Wellington had little room for professional advancement, adding to her impetus to relocate.
As 25-year-old Christchurch native Andy Fechney, who recently relocated to Sydney for a graduate program, tells it, myopic policies could have big downsides. He has no intention of coming back to live in New Zealand “any time soon.” Most notably he is attracted by the burgeoning job market and economic environment in Australia. “To move back, there would need to be a really great opportunity for work, or some sort of family turmoil,” he explained.
The economic gulf between the two countries couldn’t be larger. As of 2024, Australia’s GDP per capita stands at about $64,400, while New Zealand’s is significantly lower at around $48,000. This economic disparity has fueled the so-called “brain drain,” as thousands of young Kiwis seek more favorable financial opportunities overseas.
Tyla Vaeau, a young master of traditional Samoan tattooing, arrived to settle on the Gold Coast in January. She cited the desire to be closer to family, who had moved there permanently in advance of her. Vaeau shared that her decision was driven by personal connections as much or more than economic reasons. “If you asked me two years ago if I would ever move to Australia, my answer was a staunch ‘no’,” she recalled.
The exodus from New Zealand is not some novel occurrence, but rather the continuation of a century-old trend. Since the 1970s, Professor Alan Gamlen has found this trend to hold true. More New Zealand citizens are immigrating to Australia than New Zealanders are coming back to New Zealand. “Purely from an opportunities point of view, there’s just a lot more things happening in Australia,” he stated.
Fisher expressed the same sort of sentiments regarding New Zealand in its present state. He was highly critical of the worsening quality of life for students and tenants. “I love New Zealand, I love the people, the culture … but I feel like the National party are mismanaging it,” he said. His long-term plans depend on such improvements, which would make a return possible.
In the interview, Fulton further elaborated upon her ambivalence about New Zealand’s rapidly changing built environment. “Wellington is starting to feel quite hollow and a bit spooky, just not really the country that I feel like I grew up in,” she remarked. This increasing psychological distance complicates the story of migration in many ways.
Overall, data indicates that 73,900 New Zealand citizens left their home country in the year leading up to August 2024. As these individuals seek opportunities across the Tasman Sea, they highlight not only personal aspirations but broader economic trends affecting both nations.