Over the past four years, the number of New Zealanders aged 30-50 emigrating has more than doubled – from 18,000 to 43,000 – fueled by rising living costs and a weakening job market, demographers told CNN.

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Kiwis moving abroad is not uncommon, and more Kiwis generally are choosing to leave than before; in the year ending November 2025, almost 122,000 people emigrated, a 4% jump from the previous year and higher than a previous spike in 2012.

But traditionally it’s been those in their 20s packing up their lives and moving to London or Australia to work and travel for a few years. There is even a nickname for it locally – doing your “Big OE,” or Overseas Experience.

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This 30s-to-50s age group stands out because its members are often moving their “center of gravity,” leaving behind established careers, networks and family ties, says sociologist Paul Spoonley, distinguished professor emeritus at Massey University in New Zealand.

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New Zealand has been plagued by a stagnant economy for two years, with negative growth in the year to September 2025 and unemployment hitting a decade high in recent months.

Its housing market has also crashed, with major centers Auckland and Wellington suffering among their worst slumps in history, following a post-pandemic surge – with prices down nearly 30% in the capital since January 2022.

“The country faces its highest unemployment rate since 2016, making jobs harder to find, especially for young and mid-career workers,” Olsen said.

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Almost 60% of leavers head to Australia, whose government estimates 670,000 Kiwi citizens now live there – equivalent to 12.5% of New Zealand’s current population.

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Leading the charge are essential workers like nurses, police officers, teachers and tradespeople – who for years have been targeted by Australian recruitment campaigns – as well as remote professionals drawn to “lifestyle regions” like Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Berger said.

New Zealand still attracts more migrants than it loses, with official figures showing a net gain of 13,700 in the past year.

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Meanwhile current trends of people arriving to New Zealand include migrants from India, the Philippines and China, “and that shift has been quite rapid,” said Olsen.