US EditionFormer Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Has Left New Zealand. She's Not the only One.
Mid-career New Zealanders aged 30-50 are emigrating mainly to Australia and the US, doubling to 43,000 in four years due to economic challenges and better overseas opportunities.
- A former Prime Minister's office confirmed she and her family relocated to Sydney, as emigration among 30-to-50-year-olds more than doubled in recent months.
- Facing a crashed housing market, New Zealand endured two years of stagnant growth until September 2025 and rising joblessness, prompting many to emigrate.
- The Thorn family reports Blair's pay as a data engineer jumped 50%, and weekly grocery costs fell from about $400 to $267 after relocating to Melbourne, Australia.
- Demographers warn mid-career professionals leaving New Zealand have caused the slowest population growth in 12 years, draining productivity and institutional knowledge.
- Mark Berger of NZRelo said almost 60% of emigrants are heading to Australia, where many move permanently seeking stability and opportunity.
12 Articles
12 Articles
By Laura Sharman, CNN. Twenty years of memories spilled out into Jacinda Thorn's garden. Teddy bears and textbooks, camping gear stacked against her husband's battery, a pile of whisks and pans catching the morning sun. With just five suitcases and their Shih Tzus, Bubbles, the family—Thorn, 43, her husband Blair, 44, and their children Eva and Chase—traded their home in New Zealand's capital for one in Melbourne, a third larger and the same pri…
More and more New Zealanders are emigrating, including more and more professionals in the middle of their lives. Reasons are rising cost of living, a weak economy and better job opportunities.
Former leader Ardern has left New Zealand. She’s not the only one
Twenty years of memories spilled across Jacinda Thorn’s yard. Teddy bears and textbooks, camping gear stacked against her husband’s drum kit, a jumble of whisks and frying pans catching the morning sun.
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