Hong Kong’s population increased for the third consecutive year in 2024 to over 7.5 million as more residents returned while talents from around the world moved to the city, according to official data released on Tuesday.

The city’s population rose to 7,534,200 at the end of last year, representing an increase of 6,400 or 0.1 percent from 7,527,900 at the end of 2023, the Census and Statistics Department said.

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The increase was mainly attributable to a net inflow of 21,000 Hong Kong residents recorded during the period, the department said.

This inflow was bigger than the natural decrease of 14,700—due to 36,700 births and 51,400 deaths—recorded over the same period, it added.

A Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government spokesperson pointed out that the city's population registered an increase for the third straight year amid the resumption of normalcy.

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Continuing to benefit from various measures on talent attraction and labor importation, many people moved to the SAR from the Chinese mainland and other places around the world, resulting in an increase of 0.3 percent in “usual residents” at the end of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year, the spokesperson said.