New Zealand a Highly Desired Immigration Destination

Friday, 6 November 2009

A new poll by Gallup has put New Zealand as the third most desirable country for immigration out of 135 countries surveyed.

(via New Zealand Herald) The survey used what it calls the Potential Net Migration Index (PNMI), which measures the number of people who wanted to leave each country compared to the number of people who want to move to that country, as a proportion of their population. The survey polled 260,000 people in the 135 countries included.

New Zealand had a PNMI of 170 percent, meaning that if everyone who said they wanted to move to New Zealand actually did move there, the population would increase by 170 percent. Of course, only a small fraction of that number will actually immigrate.

Massey University Professor Paul Spoonley, head of a major research project on immigrants, said the results were interesting but not surprising, given global sentiments.

"Economic migrants see countries like Singapore as a centre for opportunities, but lifestyle migrants will choose New Zealand for the quality of life, education and peace that it offers," Professor Spoonley said.

"New Zealanders [are] perceived overseas to be friendly and welcoming, and in the wake of a global terrorism threat, the fact that we rank highly on the peace scale makes it even more attractive to be living here."

New Zealand was ranked the world's most peaceful country in this year's Global Peace Index, which lists 140 countries in terms of a variety of factors reflecting domestic peacefulness and international relations.