Liverpool's long-term population decline is on the reverse. Since the last census in 2001 recorded the number of city inhabitants as an all time low of 441,000, the figures have been following an encouraging upward trend.
In 2003 the figure moved upto 441,800 while in 2004 - the last year on record - it further grew to 444,500.
The even better news is for city chiefs is that the biggest increases came within the 20-29 year old age range, indicating more young people are moving back.
Throughout the 1980s population was often falling by tens of thousands, and during the 1990s by thousands every year. This is seen as further evidence that after years of decline the population figure is stabilising.
Dave Moorcroft, of The Mersey Partnership, said: "Population levels are still much lower than they were 20 years ago, but crucially these figures show that people are now moving into the city,a reversal of the trend we saw in the 80s and 90s.
"This population increase partly reflects an improved choice and quality of housing --particularly the rise in city-centre living and is a further signal of the renaissance of the city region's economy.
"The Mersey Partnership's mission is to encourage people to live, work and invest in the city region, and these figures indicate that we are succeeding."
However Peter Stoney, Fellow at the University of Liverpool, said:"There are encouraging signs that the decline of the working population is bottoming out.
"Whether an upward trend can be continued is dependent on whether the number of major development initiatives across Merseyside can be delivered."
Liverpool s population reached 888,000 just before World War II but has been in slow decline ever since - until now.
