Hong Kong international, private school enrolment grows amid drop in student numbers

Admissions consultant attributes growth to 2022 introduction of top talent scheme, but kindergarten sector continues decade-long decline

Enrolment at Hong Kong’s international and private schools grew for a third consecutive year following the introduction of a government talent scheme in 2022, despite an overall decline in the city’s student population, according to official statistics.

Latest Education Bureau data showed that kindergartens and local public primary schools bore the brunt of the decline, with a record 30 preschools, or 3 per cent of all kindergartens, having shut down or set to close this academic year.

A veteran admissions consultant said the talent schemes introduced in 2022 had brought a significant inflow of mainland Chinese families, many of whom enrolled their children in private and international schools.

The bureau’s annual headcount statistics, collected every September at the start of the academic year and released the following July, showed that 87,220 students were currently enrolled in international and private schools, marking a 12 per cent increase from September 2022, just before the launch of the Top Talent Pass Scheme.

Compared with a decade ago, enrolment in these institutions has jumped by 21 per cent, even though the total number of kindergarten, primary and secondary students in Hong Kong dropped from 797,157 in 2022 to 776,888 in 2025 – a 2.5 per cent decline over the three years.

“The steady growth in international and other private school students reflects mainland professionals and their dependants settling in Hong Kong. It also reflects a persistent demand from affluent local families opting out of the local curriculum,” said Ruth Benny, a veteran consultant for international school admissions in Hong Kong and Asia.