New Zealand’s population grew by a net 126,000 migrants over 2023, the largest number on record for a calendar year. Stats NZ population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said the increase was similar to the number of people living in the Taranaki region. So what has been the impact of the influx on the economy? Housing People moving into the country need somewhere to live, and while the impact of the migrant numbers on the for-sale market has been muted, the effect is more noticeable on rents. Rents increased at a pace about double the average at the end of last year. BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said there were ... (full story)