Hong Kong's school-age population is showing a structural downward trend, with primary one enrollment falling to a 10-year low, according to the Education Bureau's newly released 2025/26 Student Enrollment Statistics Report.
The report shows that as of mid-September last year, the total number of Primary One (P1) students across the city had dropped below 50,000, to 49,723. That figure was 499 fewer than the previous year, representing a 1% year-on-year decline.
Looking at the longer-term trend, the Education Bureau's figures indicate that P1 enrollment has been declining consistently since 2019. Over the past decade, the number of P1 students fell from 61,861 in 2016 to 49,723 last year—a decrease of 12,138 students, or 19.6%.
Class numbers also continued to shrink. The report recorded a decline in the total number of P1 classes from 2,280 to 2,082, down 8.7% over the same period.
The report further noted that between 2024 and 2025, the total number of Secondary One (S1) students decreased by 2,272 year-on-year, reflecting broader enrollment pressures across school levels.
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