New Zealand had a record annual net gain of 56,800 migrants in the year ending April, driven by student arrivals from China and India, the government statistics agency said Thursday.
The figure was well up from the 34,400 net gain -- the number of arrivals minus departures -- recorded in the April 2014 and the 4,800 in the April 2013, according to Statistics New Zealand
Migrant arrivals were up 16 percent from the April 2014, while departures were down 11 percent.
The biggest net gains of migrants were from India (12,200), China (7,800), Britain (4,600) and the Philippines (4,000), said a commentary from Statistics New Zealand.
About three-quarters of migrants from India and half of migrants from China arrived on student visas.
From September 2012 to October 2014, net migration was positive and mostly increasing, mainly due to fewer New Zealand citizens leaving for Australia and more non-New Zealand citizens arriving.
New Zealand had a net inflow of 100 migrants from Australia in April -- the first month New Zealand had a net gain from Australia since 1991.
