HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's population dropped by 0.6 percent from a year ago to 7.47 million at the end of 2020 largely due to curbed people inflows amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

The decline was comprised of a natural decrease of 6,700 and a net outflow of 39,800, a provisional estimate of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government showed Thursday. It was the first time for Hong Kong to register an annual natural decrease, which means deaths surpassing births.

A government spokesperson attributed the net outflow mainly to the severe interruption of international travel amid the pandemic, as well as the border control and quarantine measures in Hong Kong and other places around the world.

There was a substantial drop in the inflow, such as One-way Permit holders, foreign domestic helpers and those coming to work or study in Hong Kong, and residents who left before the pandemic chose to stay outside of Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

Of the total population, some 7.4 million were usual residents and about 73,200 were mobile residents, the data showed.

Under the current practice, Hong Kong's population figure is first released on a provisional basis and the revised figure comes six months later.