HONG KONG - Hong Kong's economy grew 7.8% in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, government estimates showed on Monday, snapping six consecutive quarters of annual contractions as a lower coronavirus threat allowed activity to pick up.

The trade-reliant city, which is also benefiting from mainland China's recovery, had been facing its longest recession on record due to unrest in 2019, followed by the pandemic.

The first quarter's pace compares with a revised decline of 2.8% in the previous quarter. On a quarterly basis, the economy grew a seasonally adjusted 5.3% for the January-March period, up from a revised 0.5% growth in the previous quarter.

(Reporting by Donny Kwok and Twinnie Siu; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com; +852 2843 6470; Reuters Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net))