Chief Secretary Eric Chan on Thursday called the growth in population an auspicious sign, saying it shows that Hong Kong has gotten over the protests in 2019.

He made the comment after official data showed the local population had grown from around 7.35 million in mid-2022 to almost 7.5 million in the middle of this year.

Writing on Facebook, Chan said many people who moved abroad are coming back, as the city has restored order from the chaos in 2019 and resumed normality from Covid.

He said government policies have also attracted many talented people to come from the mainland and overseas, noting the administration has granted over 75,000 admission applications in just seven months.

"I think the population recovery reflects that Hong Kong has got over the 'black riot' in 2019, and is advancing from stability to prosperity. Coupled with the stable economic development, people from all over the world voted with their feet and cast a vote of confidence in Hong Kong," he wrote.

The official added that tourist figures have proven that the territory remains an attractive destination, with nearly 16.5 million travellers coming to the SAR in the first seven months of the year – a surge from 0.6 million in 2022.

Chan said the government will continue to work with all sectors to look for development opportunities, improve the economy, and benefit the people's livelihood.