The latest online survey reveals 21 percent of the more than 15,000 overseas New Zealanders polled believe company or people they are involved with would be interested in developing deeper economic involvement with New Zealand or New Zealand business.
The survey report, ‘Every Kiwi Counts 2011’, has identified around 3000 potential connections for closer economic involvement between New Zealand and overseas companies or people linked to survey respondents.
Kea says that suggests there are tens of thousands of such connections among the total Kiwi population overseas.
This supports the finding of other Kea research into Foreign Investment from the New Zealand Diaspora which was released last month.
‘Every Kiwi Counts 2011’ also revealed:
• About two-thirds of respondents have financial interests in New Zealand; the most common are bank accounts and/or securities. Twenty percent have equity investments in New Zealand, 18 percent own residential property and 10 percent own commercial property.
• Half of respondents believe things will get better in New Zealand over the next 10 years, but also believe that New Zealand will not reach its full potential. Younger respondents (aged 30 and under) are more likely than older respondents to have concerns about this.
• Just over one third of respondents name the main reason for living overseas as being for general economic, job and income prospects.
• Nearly 46 percent of overseas-based Kiwis in the survey report that they earn over NZ$100,000 per annum.
• Overseas Kiwis stay very connected with New Zealand; 60 percent have visited New Zealand in the past 12 months, while only four percent have not returned home since they left.
• Over 60 percent of returning Kiwis list attractions like being closer to family, the lifestyle and because New Zealand is “home” as being the main reasons they would come home to live in New Zealand. Conversely, only small minority (6 percent) of returning Kiwis plan to move back to New Zealand for general economic reasons.
For the full report click here.
