MIGRATION DATA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21983, 19 June 1933, Page 8

MIGRATION DATA

EXCESS OF DEPARTURES # "As in 1931, the 1932 migration resulted in a small surplus of departures over arrivals, an excess of departures which has occurred only five times in New Zealand's history," states the annual report on external migration for 1932 recently issued by the Government. . Dealing with statistics, the report shows that passengers arriving in New Zealand in 1932 numbered 17,879, a decrease of 2346 on the previous year's total, and the lowest, with the exception of the 1917. and 1918 war years, since 1896. The decline arises from the diminution in the influx of immigrants intending permanent residence, who numbered only 1572 in 1932, as compared with the annual average of 9759 in the five years, 1926-30. Passenger departures in 1932 were 21,210, a decline from the 1931 level by only 424,'0r 2 per cent. The total is the lowest on record since 1903, with the exception of the war years, 1916-19. New Zealand residents leaving permanently in 1932 numbered 2940, a slight increase over 1931 (2692), but below the annual average of 3244 during 1926-30. The three previous occasions on which there has been an excess of departures were significantly enough in 1888, 1890, and 1891. marking the trough of the last major depression. The net passenger .loss in 1932 was 3331, but the total net loss, considering all arrivals and departures, was 2933. Tourists arriving in 1932, 5268, showed a silght increase over 1931, due mainly to improved numbers from Great Britain. Tourist traffic was, however, far below the annual average (9258) of 192630. Visitors for commercial purposes dropped to the low figure of 955. a decline on 1931 of 22 per cent., the diminished arrivals from Australia being responsible. Of the 9281 New Zealanders who left the country temporarily during 1932, 5853 went to Australia, an increase of 2141, and 2132 to Great Britain, a decrease of 774 in comparison with 1931. Eliminating temporary figures, immigrants during 1932 were 1572 and emigrants 2940. As in previous years, most of the immigrants were formerly residents of British countries. The only foreign country of any numerical importance was the United States, which supplied 3 per cent, of the total new immigrants. Most of the emigrants went to British countries, and only 118 to foreign countries, with increases in the number who left permanently for Australia and the British Isles, there were no new Chinese immigrants in 1932. but 28 Indians came in. Indian emigration was small, as usual, but 29 Chinese departed permanently. _ As for assisted immigration, the existing scheme had been in suspension since May, 1927. The total number of immigrants assisted up to and including 1932 was 226,219. and, with the exception of 3909 from Europe, spread over the five years 1874 to 1878. all have come from the United Kingdom. Excluding the war years, 1916-18. thenumbcr of assisted immigrants in 1932 was less than in any year since the revival of the scheme in 1904. A subj stantial increase in the proportion of females had occurred during recent years.