Natural growth: The 53,200 births recorded from mid-2004 to mid-2005, represented 87% of the overall increase.

Hong Kong's population climbed to 6,943,600 at mid-2005, up 0.9% over mid-2004, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Among the total population, 6,733,600 or 97% were usual residents while 210,000 or 3% were mobile residents. The number of visitors present in Hong Kong as at mid-2005 was 330,800.

In the last year, there were 38,000 deaths recorded, while the number of births rose to 53,200, leaving a natural increase in the population of 15,200. The overall population rose 61,000 over the same period, comprising a natural increase of 15,200 and a net movement of 45,800 residents.

Both births and inflow of one-way permit holders are key constituents of the overall population increase. The 53,200 births represented 87% of the overall population increase from mid-2004 to mid-2005.

There was an inflow of 38,800 one-way permit holders, representing 64% of the overall population increase in the same period, and an inflow of 6,900 other people, representing 11% of the increase. 

The 38,000 deaths recorded in the period offset 62% of the overall increase. 

The provisional figure for the year-end population for 2004 was revised to 6,915,700, with the number of usual residents revised to 6,694,800 and the number of mobile residents to 220,900. The population growth rate was 1%.

The revised population figure for mid-2005 will be released next February.