Hong Kong schools have recorded net student rises for two consecutive years. The current academic year saw an increase of about 7,200 pupils. The surge has been linked 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.
Total student numbers rose from about 733,593 to 740,819. This represents a 1 per cent increase, with a net gain of 7,229 students compared with the previous year.
The South China Morning Post calculated the net increases by comparing 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.