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Economy Made Simple #15 | Migration in NZ: Who will the next generation of Kiwis really be?

Money Made Simple

Money Made Simple
Economy Made Simple #15 | Migration in NZ: Who will the next generation of Kiwis really be?
Apr 28, 2026 Season 1 Episode 15
Simplicity

In this episode of Economy Made Simple, Simplicity's Chief Economist Shamubeel Eaqub is joined by Money Made Simple host Liv to unpack one of the biggest quiet shifts happening in New Zealand right now: our rapidly changing ethnic make-up, and what it will take to turn that into something genuinely good for everyone.

Drawing on his recent research for the Auckland Policy Office, Shamubeel walks through the numbers, the tensions and the choices in front of us, and why Auckland is the place to watch.

This episode covers:

  • Why Auckland is the leading edge of NZ's rapidly changing ethnic make-up
  • What just shifted in NZ's newborn population for the first time, and why it matters
  • Why low fertility and ongoing migration mean immigration is now locked into our future, not a cyclical choice
  • How NZ's attitudes to immigration compare with Australia's, and why that gap between the two nations matters
  • The hidden economic cost of under-using highly qualified migrants, particularly in Auckland
  • Four practical policy levers that could turn diversity into shared economic benefit
  • Why multiculturalism, integration and the melting pot describe very different futures for NZ - and what we should be aiming to adopt
  • The two tensions underneath every diversity conversation, and how we might move past them

By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer sense of the real choices in front of us when it comes to diversity and migration, and how to live alongside each other well. As Shamubeel puts it, when we talk with openness and curiosity, we usually find more common ground than difference.

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Disclaimer: This podcast contains personal opinions and is intended to provide educational information only. It doesn't relate to your particular financial situation or goals and is not financial advice or recommendations. Simplicity New Zealand Limited is the issuer of the Simplicity KiwiSaver scheme and investment funds. For product disclosure statements please visit Simplicity's website simplicity. kiwi.