The number of New Zealanders heading for a better life across the Tasman slowed to its lowest monthly pace in almost three years, as local economic prospects start overshadowing Australia’s.

Seasonally adjusted, almost 2000 more people left New Zealand for Australia than arrived in April, according to Statistics New Zealand.

That’s the smallest monthly outflow across the Tasman since September 2010, with a net gain of non-New Zealanders arriving, and trimming the net 2200 citizens going to the so-called “lucky country”.

About 45,700 New Zealanders left the country for Australia in the year ended April 30.

Australia has been a favourite destination for many kiwis seeking better wages and a higher standard of living with almost open access to the larger nation.

However, in the past year the economic fortunes of the two nations has turned, with New Zealand’s recovery gathering pace as the Canterbury rebuild unfolds, and Australia’s mining boom seen peaking soon.

Statistics NZ said the country added a seasonally adjusted 1600 new migrants in April. The actual annual gain was some 4800 new migrants.

The gains came from across the board, with a 39 per cent jump in the number of Australian migrants to 1737 in April from the same month a year earlier and a 15 per cent lift in the number of UK migrants to 848. On an annual basis, Australia led the pace, with an 18 per cent annual increase of new migrants to about 16,200.

Short-term visitor arrivals rose to a seasonally adjusted 232,350 in April from 227,380 in March, and up from 213,650 a year earlier. Chinese visitors underpinned the gains, up 36 per cent to 24,800 in April from a year earlier.