Why Everyone Is Leaving New Zealand [video]
Posted2 months agoActive2 months ago
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calmnegative
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New ZealandEmigrationCost of Living
Key topics
New Zealand
Emigration
Cost of Living
A video discusses reasons why people are leaving New Zealand, sparking a discussion on the country's issues and the commenters' personal experiences with emigration.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
7m
Peak period
3
1-2h
Avg / period
1.5
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Oct 23, 2025 at 12:09 AM EDT
2 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Oct 23, 2025 at 12:16 AM EDT
7m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
3 comments in 1-2h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM EDT
2 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
ID: 45678084Type: storyLast synced: 11/20/2025, 3:25:59 PM
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Australia has some huge advantages to live in, and there is a lot of choices of places to live there to suit one's needs.
The weather is warmer in Oz.
I'm from Christchurch NZ, where the October average sea temperature is 12°C (53°F) and the yearly maximum is 20°C (68°F). I wouldn't recommend Christchurch to anyone who is sensitive to cold or wind.
Oz house prices can be okay outside the major cities . . . however the major cities mostly have whacko bad affordability: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/25/the-10-most-impossibly-unaff... (one of the few articles that uses median rather than average). Beware that you can't compare directly with the US because mortgages are riskier in Oz/NZ: interest rates for more than 5 years are approximately variable rate (30 year mortgages are not available).
One can obtain good jobs in Australia. 30% of the population is immigrants, so fitting-in is doable.
"The real reason: opportunity.
NZ’s economy offers few paths beyond agriculture and real estate.
Larger, more diversified Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) offer broader careers and education options
In Summary
New Zealand’s paradox: a high-quality society built atop a narrow economy. Its openness with Australia, while culturally beneficial, drains the very people it needs to sustain growth. Until it diversifies beyond real estate and agriculture and offers more opportunity to young professionals, the exodus is likely to continue"