Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ) has published its monthly release on international migration covering May 2026. The release forms part of the agency's regular cycle of migration estimates, which track arrivals, departures, and net migration for New Zealand.

Stats NZ issues these figures as provisional estimates. The agency revises them in subsequent releases as more complete border movement and passenger card data become available. Users of the data — including migration policy analysts, employers, and researchers — should treat the newest monthly figures as subject to revision.

The monthly international migration series measures migration by examining border crossings, classifying travellers as migrants based on their observed travel history rather than on visa type alone. This method means the figures capture long-term arrivals and departures of both New Zealand citizens and non-citizens.

For immigrants, prospective applicants, and their advisers, the release matters for several reasons. Net migration trends feed into public debate on residence settings, workforce planning, and infrastructure demand. Policy agencies, including the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Immigration New Zealand, monitor the same series when they review visa categories and planning ranges.

Stats NZ publishes international migration statistics monthly, with provisional estimates refined over the following months. Each release typically covers annual net migration, arrival and departure flows broken down by citizenship, and estimates for New Zealand citizens and non-citizens separately.

Readers who need the exact May 2026 figures — including annual net migration, arrival and departure totals, and citizenship breakdowns — should consult the release directly on the Stats NZ website, where the agency publishes the full dataset, tables, and methodology notes.

The full release, "International migration: May 2026," is available through Stats NZ's official statistics portal.