Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has relocated to Australia, joining a record number of Kiwis moving across the Tasman Sea for work and lifestyle.
WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has moved to Australia after living in the United States. National broadcaster RNZ reported she is joining record numbers of her compatriots making the same move.
A spokesperson for Ardern confirmed to RNZ they were now “basing themselves out of Australia”. The spokesperson cited work opportunities and the benefit of being closer to home in New Zealand.
Ardern and her family had been living in the US where she worked at Harvard University. She stepped down from politics in January 2023 after her domestic popularity waned.
Property website realestate.com.au reported Ardern and her husband were seen looking at homes for sale in Sydney’s northern beach suburbs of Freshwater and Curl Curl.
Ardern won global praise for her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. Her support at home declined towards the end of her second term due to economic pressures and backlash against Covid policies.
Recent data from Stats NZ shows 48,000 people left New Zealand between November 2024 and November 2025. Commentators attribute the exodus to slow economic growth, high living costs, and a severe housing crisis.
