Indian students drive record New Zealand migration figures

Students from India and China helped drive New Zealand's 11th straight month of annual net gains from migration, more arrivals than departures, in June, the government statistics agency said on Tuesday.

The country had a net gain of 4,800 migrants last month, putting the annual net gain in the year ending June at 58,300, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Long-term and permanent migration in the June year comprised 115,700 arrivals and 57,400 departures, said a commentary from the agency.

Of the arrivals in the June year, 64 percent were aged 15 to 34 years, and they included 13,300 from India, with three quarters of Indians on student visas, and 10,300 from China, with about half on student visas.

The net gains in the June year were led by India (12,000), China (8,000), the Philippines (4,300) and Britain (4,300).