Lifestyle is the No 1 benefit for Kiwi expats to return home
11 March 2010
According to a Victoria University study published yesterday;
“Kiwi expatriates living overseas who plan to return home will do so because of New Zealand’s lifestyle.”
Utilizing data collected by the expatriate network KEA, and by analyzing a sample group of 13,000+ Kiwis residing living overseas, Dr Lindy Fursman of Victoria University’s Institute of Policy Studies wanted to explore how many Kiwi ex-pats may decide to come home, and why.
It’s interesting to note a couple of points of the study Dr Fursman discovered.
-> 57% planned a return to New Zealand in the future
-> those with higher qualifications were more likely to be planning to live overseas indefinitely
-> women were more likely to be planning to return than men
I say interesting, keeping in mind the original reason why so many (and by so many I refer to the fact that we Kiwis are the country with the 2nd highest percentage of our resident population overseas at any one time – just pipped by Ireland) Kiwis travel overseas is in usually in search of more favourable/greater work opportunities, generally with associated higher remuneration………..in all offering them ultimately a “perceived” better lifestyle.
In fact the Dr even touched on this point by mentioning;
While previous research has shown that expatriates move because of jobs and opportunities for greater incomes, New Zealand expatriates in Dr Fursman’s study planned to return to take advantage of New Zealand’s “enhanced lifestyle and culture.” Few respondents cited job, economic or income prospects as the reason or driver for coming home.
She concludes the report by making a call that further research needs to be done to ascertain what she calls “ a new measures of lifestyle.”
To explain what it is she means Dr Fursman reinforces her comment by stating;
“Current measures don’t accurately capture the factors that are important to daily living for families with children, for whom lifestyle is the primary driver bringing them home,” says Dr Fursman.
“Given that New Zealand’s competitive advantage internationally is lifestyle, we need to know how we are doing compared with other countries that New Zealand expatriates, and other migrants, favour.”
Is this type of research / info important?
Yes, most definitely.
From a Real Estate perspective I have many times in past posts reiterated my thoughts that two of the biggest primary drivers for the NZ market are Immigration & Unemployment, so no doubt then that this type of research makes a lot of sense.
Full article here.
March 11 2010 | Buyers and General and New Zealand and The Market and retirement | No Comments »
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