New Zealand’s income gap with Australia remains large despite housing improvements
An economist analyses why 638,000 New Zealand-born people live in Australia, finding productivity differences and wage gaps persist despite some recent housing wins.
About one in nine New Zealand-born people live in Australia, with departures running at around 48,000 annually. New Zealand's income per person sits at roughly three-quarters of Australia's level, a gap that has persisted for 40 years and stems largely from lower productivity across most industries. While New Zealand has made progress on housing affordability and offers stronger family support policies, Australia's higher wages, compulsory superannuation, and greater career opportunities continue to pull New Zealanders across the Tasman Sea.
Covered byThe SpinoffNot covered byRNZStuffNZ Herald1NewsNewstalk ZBOtago Daily TimesNewsroomBusinessDeskinterest.co.nz
Coverage across the news outlets we track, as at publication.
What outlets are saying
The Spinoff
Does the case for moving to Australia still stack up? Here’s what the numbers tell us
As a spate of headlines suggest Australia’s economy is stalling, economist Shamubeel Eaqub crunches the data. Watch/listen to Shamubeel Eaqub talking this through on the Spinoff podcast At Large with Toby Manhire . The pull of the West Island is…