WELLINGTON - Chinese visitors led the growth in visitors to New Zealand in the year to the end of July, the government statistics agency said Friday.

Total visitor arrivals hit a record 3.34 million in the July year, up by 11 percent from the July 2015 year, according to Statistics New Zealand.

The biggest rise came from China, with Chinese visitors up by 87,900 to 403,200.

Australia followed with a rise of 81,900 to 1.37 million, and the United States was in third pace, with a rise of 26,800 to 262,000.

The same three countries drove a July record in the number of visitor arrivals last month.

Arrivals were up 14 percent year on year to 237,900 in July.

"More holidaymakers from Australia, China and the United States boosted the holiday arrival numbers this month," population statistics manager Jo-Anne Skinner said in a statement.

"This is the first time that holiday visitor arrivals from Australia have exceeded 50,000 in a July month."