The exodus of Kiwis for Australia has reached a new high, with departures accelerating to a record 53,000 last month, Businessdesk reports.

New Zealand lost a net 39,100 people to Australia in the 12 months ended February 29 -- the biggest-ever annual net loss to Australia. Of this figure, 4,100 left in the month of February alone, Statistics New Zealand released Wednesday.

In contrast, only 13,900 people crossed the Tasman to live in New Zealand.

People have been quitting New Zealand for Australia for years as they seek higher wages and a better standard of living, Businessdesk reports, adding, New Zealand has lost more migrants than it gained in 11 of the past 12 months, since the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch.

Against all nations, New Zealand lost a seasonally adjusted net 400 migrants in February, taking the annual outflow to 4,100.

In 2008, the National Party won office campaigning on a promise to stem the outflow.

Prime Minister John Key had earlier said the number of New Zealanders moving to Australia was a long-term problem, which his government had worked to address.

"Over the last three years I believe we've made some progress in so much that we have been closing that after-tax wage gap, we are building an economy that is now growing at a faster rate than Australia but it will take us some time to turn that around," he told Dominion Post late last year.

Statistics NZ also reported short-term visitors to NZ rose 2.3 per cent to 2.6 million people.

The number of short-term visitor arrivals fell 3.4 per cent to 259,000 in February from the same month a year earlier, with Business desk attributing the drop to January's Chinese Lunar New Year holiday this year.