Hong Kong schools record net student rise for 2 years straight

Figures shift from net decrease to net increase after Top Talent Pass Scheme launched and annual quota for another key admission scheme removed

Hong Kong schools have recorded net student rises for two consecutive years, with the current academic year seeing an increase of about 7,200 pupils, a surge that an industry leader has attributed to the influx of dependants of admitted talent.

The Education Bureau published enrolment figures on its website on April 28. The data covers all government, aided, private, international and direct subsidy scheme schools at the time of the annual headcount exercise in September 2025.

To determine the population change, the South China Morning Post calculated the net increases by comparing the enrolment figures for Kindergarten One to Form Five in September 2024 against those from Kindergarten Two to Form Six a year later.

This method accounts for the natural progression of students moving up one grade level annually.

The tally excluded the 2024-25 Form Six students, who had finished their school education a year later.

Total student numbers rose from about 733,593 to 740,819 – a 1 per cent increase. The net gain in students for the current school year stood at 7,229 compared with the previous one.