New Zealand citizens leaving the country have reached the highest levels since February 2012, with more than a third of those emigrating aged under 30. Data released by Statistics New Zealand on Friday showed that 71,800 New Zealand citizens departed the country in the year ended June 2025, up from 67,500 in the previous 12-month period, and just below the record of 72,400 set in the year ended February 2012. The exodus comes amid deteriorating economic conditions and a rising unemployment rate. Data released last week showed the jobless rate climbed to 5.2% in Q2, the highest since Q3 of 2020. Meanwhile, the economy contracted for the fourth straight year-on-year quarter, with GDP shrinking 0.7% in Q1 2025. On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 0.8% in Q1, following a 0.5% expansion in Q4 2024, after two consecutive quarters of contraction. New Zealand’s population has increased from 3.1 million people in 1979 to an estimated 5.3 million people in 2025.