Why do many young Australians and New Zealanders choose to live in Europe?Answers (12)

Tim Neal:

Purely personally it was because as a chef the best work opportunities where in Europe. I got to work for and alongside some of the most respected chefs in the world at a time when NZ was still calling Shrimp cocktails & roast lamb fancy. I returned to NZ in the 80s & found NZ had jumped in leaps & bounds. So I stayed for a while but when the stock market crash hit good restaurants starting closing so I headed back. I came back in 2003 with the intention of eventually going back to France, but brexit has buggered that plan. My UK Passport made it possible for me to go back to live but now it's not that simple

Peter Elliott:

The “O.E.” or overseas experience is pretty entrenched in both of our cultures and many if not most Kiwis and Aussies have lived and worked overseas at some point. It’s a rite of passage, although I didn’t do my OE until I was 48 and came back to New Zealand when I was 52. A changed man lol. Mostly it’s what you do after Uni.
No we don’t do it for the money, we don’t do it because our country is shit or small, we do it because we’re curious. Explorers. I guess it’s in the DNA. I went to Asia btw not Europe. Although I still want to go to Europe sometime. So much to see so little time…

Assistant bot:

Many young Australians and New Zealanders choose to live in Europe for a variety of reasons. Some of the common motivations include:


Travel Opportunities: Europe offers a diverse range of cultures, landscapes, and experiences within a relatively small geographical area. Many young people from Australia and New Zealand are attracted to Europe for its easy access to different countries and cultures, allowing them to explore and travel extensively.
Work Opportunities: Europe is home to a number of vibrant economies and industries, providing job opportunities in various sectors. Young Australians and New Zealanders often seek work in Europe to gain international work experience, enhance their skills, and broaden their professional networks.
Education: Europe is known for its prestigious universities and educational institutions. Many young Australians and New Zealanders choose to study in Europe to access high-quality education, unique academic programs, and the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different cultural and learning environment.
Cultural Experience: Europe is rich in history, art, architecture, and diverse cultural traditions. Living in Europe allows young people from Australia and New Zealand to experience and appreciate different cultures, languages, and ways of life, broadening their perspectives and enriching their personal growth.
Quality of Life: Some young Australians and New Zealanders are attracted to the high quality of life and social benefits available in many European countries, such as excellent healthcare systems, efficient public transportation, and a strong emphasis on work-life balance.
Personal Growth and Adventure: Living in a new and unfamiliar environment can be a transformative experience that challenges individuals to step out of their comfort zones, adapt to new situations, and develop independence and resilience. Many young people see living in Europe as an adventure and an opportunity for personal growth.
EU Citizenship and Mobility: Some young Australians and New Zealanders have European ancestry or are eligible for European citizenship through descent or other means. This can provide them with the opportunity to live and work in Europe more easily due to the freedom of movement within the European Union.Overall, the decision to live in Europe is often influenced by a combination of factors such as personal interests, career opportunities, educational pursuits, cultural exploration, and the desire for new experiences and challenges.

Mike McGuire:

Historically Europe (especially Britain) offered secure career opportunities for the professionally qualified. Many visit for reasons of heritage and education. Some opt to stay because they can.

Graham Dawson:

We were all young and adventurous at one time in our lives…. To travel or work over seas is a broadening of the mind and soul.. To live and work in another country can be very rewarding in many ways not only financial… New Zealanders have always travelled and worked abroad and this has benefitted NZ as a whole… Kiwis are generally quite open minded and knowlageable of the world and how it all works… which is a great thing…. this also applies to Australians as well… you will find Kiwis and Aussies all over the world working or travelling …. This has no doubt resulted in the Broad mided attitude of both nations…

Billy Bellman:

This maybe hard for you to believe, but it is the culture of civilsation, see us kiwis have not had the exposure of other civilizations who showed the rest of the world different ideas and culture sensitivities, that gave a great insight towards geater civilsations than we have experianced.
Our travelers to NZ has shown the depth of ancient civilisations before us.. Now of course with that comes knowledge. This is the true unseen quest, the true kiwi is never satisfied with other peoples knowledge. WHY>. IT IS IN THEIR d.n.a nothing on the planet is perfect and it would seem that this is the challange to prove them wrong. With knowledge comes POWER and i may stand corrected on this point, it is only my belief ,that they believe in perfection that they seek can only be perfected here in Aotearoa. Because their ideas are not so diffused with Rhetoric and old fashioned techniques, in other words here in New Zealand it is an open playing field where success favours the brave. GO KIWIS. Cheers Bill

It Doesn't Matamata:

There actually aren’t many living there permanently (only in the UK, generally England, especially London). Most are on a working holiday and conversely those countries that have a reciprocal agreement with NZ, have their young people also working in NZ, on a working holiday. The highest group of migrants that move to NZ are those from the UK.
Outside of the UK and Australia, there are actually more Kiwi’s in the USA and then Canada, than there are Kiwi’s on the continent of Europe. Dubai is also desirable, re the very high money you can earn there and tax free as well (although most don’t want to permanently live in Dubai as it’s a very different culture). NZers also teach English in Japan, China and South Korea, but mostly in Japan.
And of course, for those NZers and Aussies with European ancestry, naturally they would be interested to see Europe.
Here is a list of significant populations of NZers. Note that outside of the UK, there are only about 10k living in Europe. The overseas majority live in Australia.
Regions with significant NZ populations
New Zealand - 5,120,000
Australia - 640,770
UK - 58,286
USA - 22,872
Canada - 15,395
Netherlands - 4,260
UAE - 4,000
Japan - 3,146
Hong Kong - 3,000
Germany - 2,631
Ireland - 2,195
France - 1,400
Brazil - 1,256
Source: see the top right chart on here:
New Zealanders - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealanders

Daniel Eyre:

Because there are a lot of career opportunities there. And because of the lifestyle that big historic cities and higher population density allows.
Most available housing in both nations are in suburbs filled with detached housing (mostly single story) that are very automobile dependent. And these can be very socially isolating, alienating and boring for many people.

Scott Handy:

Same reason anybody chooses to try different places in this Big Blue Marble of ours .. it's natural wanderlust and youth is the time to indulge in it.