Hong Kong Faces Birth Crisis; Official Estimates Project Sharp Decline in Junior High Students
Hong Kong is bracing for a severe demographic shift, with junior high school student enrollment projected to drop by 40% by 2035. A recent survey also revealed that only 23% of residents are willing to have children.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 12:19
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 12:31 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 03:25 (62h 53m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Chang Chien, Hong Kong 16th) Hong Kong authorities predict that the local school-age population for Form 1 (junior high school year 1) will continue to fall, dropping by 40% by 2035. Additionally, the Hong Kong Women's League recently announced that only 23% of surveyed Hong Kong residents indicated a willingness to have children.
The Sing Tao Daily reported today that due to structural changes in the school-age population, the problem of insufficient student enrollment will spread from primary schools to secondary schools.
The report stated that according to a document recently submitted to the Legislative Council by the Education Bureau, it is estimated that there will be 53,700 school-age Form 1 students this year. However, this number will continue to decline over the next 10 years, falling to just 32,300 by 2035, a decrease of approximately 40%.
The report cited an unnamed secondary school principal analyzing that following the COVID-19 pandemic, the local birth rate has been low. He estimated that the wave of class reductions (due to insufficient students) and school mergers will become even more severe. He also predicted that in the next few years, the number of schools facing enrollment shortages will definitely be in the double digits.
Separately, the Hong Kong Women's League conducted a "Hong Kong Residents' Fertility Willingness Questionnaire Survey" in January and February, interviewing 1,251 Hong Kong residents under the age of 50 and 1,062 residents over 50.
The survey showed that among respondents under 50, only 23% expressed a willingness to have children, a decrease of 5.1 percentage points from a similar survey last year; 77% explicitly stated they were unwilling to have children.
According to the survey, the reasons for Hong Kong residents' low fertility willingness include economic pressure, housing problems, and busy workloads; 98.7% of respondents viewed child-rearing costs as the primary obstacle, 92.7% saw housing shortages as a factor restricting fertility willingness, and 80.6% said that busy work schedules affected their decision to have children. (Editor: Chou Hui-ying) 1150416
(CNA Reporter Chang Chien, Hong Kong 16th) Hong Kong authorities predict that the local school-age population for Form 1 (junior high school year 1) will continue to fall, dropping by 40% by 2035. Additionally, the Hong Kong Women's League recently announced that only 23% of surveyed Hong Kong residents indicated a willingness to have children.
The Sing Tao Daily reported today that due to structural changes in the school-age population, the problem of insufficient student enrollment will spread from primary schools to secondary schools.
The report stated that according to a document recently submitted to the Legislative Council by the Education Bureau, it is estimated that there will be 53,700 school-age Form 1 students this year. However, this number will continue to decline over the next 10 years, falling to just 32,300 by 2035, a decrease of approximately 40%.
The report cited an unnamed secondary school principal analyzing that following the COVID-19 pandemic, the local birth rate has been low. He estimated that the wave of class reductions (due to insufficient students) and school mergers will become even more severe. He also predicted that in the next few years, the number of schools facing enrollment shortages will definitely be in the double digits.
Separately, the Hong Kong Women's League conducted a "Hong Kong Residents' Fertility Willingness Questionnaire Survey" in January and February, interviewing 1,251 Hong Kong residents under the age of 50 and 1,062 residents over 50.
The survey showed that among respondents under 50, only 23% expressed a willingness to have children, a decrease of 5.1 percentage points from a similar survey last year; 77% explicitly stated they were unwilling to have children.
According to the survey, the reasons for Hong Kong residents' low fertility willingness include economic pressure, housing problems, and busy workloads; 98.7% of respondents viewed child-rearing costs as the primary obstacle, 92.7% saw housing shortages as a factor restricting fertility willingness, and 80.6% said that busy work schedules affected their decision to have children. (Editor: Chou Hui-ying) 1150416