Hopes net migration will remain positive despite high numbers of departures

New Stats NZ data shows net migration was sitting at 32-thousand-500 in the year to January.

In that time, there were also around 123-thousand migrant departures -- provisionally the highest on record for an annual period.

But ASB senior economist Mark Smith says the solid numbers of migrant arrivals here are a promising sign.

He says non-New Zealand citizen inflows have stabilised at reasonably high levels, which will hopefully mean net inflows will stay positive.