In the February 2017 year, 71,300 more migrants arrived in New Zealand than left, Stats NZ said today. This equalled the previous annual record set in January 2017. Migrant arrivals numbered 128,800 in the February 2017 year, a new annual record, while migrant departures were 57,500.

"About a third of all migrant arrivals for the year were people coming to New Zealand on work visas," population statistics senior manager Peter Dolan said. "Just over a quarter of all work-visa migrants were from the United Kingdom and France."

The next largest sources of migrants coming to New Zealand to work were from Germany, Australia, South Africa, and the United States.