New Zealand's net migration rate remains well ahead of the UK and United States

Stats NZ says migration increased New Zealand's population by about 11 more people for every one-thousand already living here.

That equates to about 56-thousand - against a population of 4.9 million.

This rate is similar to Australia's migration rate, but three times that of the US and Britain.

Meanwhile, visitor arrivals from Australia have reached a new high.

More than 1.5 million arrived here from Australia in the year to September, up 3.8-percent on the same period last year.