Hong Kong public schools have reduced the number of Primary One classes by a record 126 for the 2026-27 academic year, reflecting ongoing declines in the city’s birth rate. According to data from the latest Primary School Profiles, the total number of Primary One classes fell from 1,558 in 2025-26 to 1,432 in 2026-27, marking an 8 percent decrease. The profiles, compiled by the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, cover more than 500 primary schools and assist parents in selecting schools for their children.

The greatest impact was seen in the Kwai Tsing district, where nearly half of the area’s 31 primary schools—14 campuses—reduced their intake. The Tuen Mun and Eastern districts also experienced significant cuts, each losing 13 classes.

This contraction follows a sharp decline in births beginning around 2020, attributed to effects from the COVID-19 pandemic and the social unrest in 2019. Births fell nearly 20 percent year-on-year to 43,000 in that period. More recent data indicate that the birth rate continues to fall, with fewer than 30,000 births recorded from mid-2025 to mid-2026—a 15.6 percent drop from the previous year and the lowest midyear total since record-keeping began in 1962.

In response to these trends, the Education Bureau announced in March that 15 primary schools would not receive approval to operate subsidized Primary One classes for the current school year. Of these, four schools plan to close within three years, eight will merge with other campuses, two will offer private Primary One classes instead, and one exemption was granted. Across the city, 100 public primary schools reduced their intake by one class, 21 schools cut two classes, and Tsz Wan Shan Catholic Primary School trimmed three classes. Conversely, 18 schools expanded their intake, with most adding one class each. The newly established Erudite Government Primary School in Sai Kung opened two additional classes this year to operate three in total.

Projections from the Education Bureau indicate that the population of six-year-olds eligible for Primary One will decline further to 40,600 by 2027 and 31,500 by 2029.

Jessie Cheung Chok-fong, a primary school principal and consultant to the Subsidised Primary Schools Council, cautioned that the challenges for schools are not yet over. She urged school-sponsoring bodies and institutions with small intakes to consider merging with other schools to consolidate resources and maintain community cohesion for students. Cheung also noted that efforts to attract foreign talent to Hong Kong have had limited impact on primary school enrollment, as many incoming professionals are unlikely to enroll children aged six or seven locally.

Parents applying for public Primary One places must submit their choices by September 25 in the discretionary application stage, with results to be announced on November 23. Schools are expected to actively promote their strengths during this period in an effort to attract applicants amid the shrinking student population.