Hong Kong SAR, China: Adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Hong Kong SAR, China's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2023 (from 1.2% to 0.68%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.29 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.6 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3.03 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.09 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Hong Kong SAR, China had the 81st highest value of the 90 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Hong Kong SAR, China in the 2024 ranking

• Chile — 77th of 90: 1%
• Norway — 78th of 90: 0.87%
• Samoa — 79th of 90: 0.79%
• Saudi Arabia — 81st of 90: 0.64%
• Moldova — 82nd of 90: 0.52%
• Germany — 83rd of 90: 0.39%

What this measures

Adolescents out of school are the percentage of lower secondary school age adolescents who are not enrolled in school.

Limitations: The administrative data used in the calculation of the rate of out-of-school children are based on enrolment at a specific date which can bias the results by either counting enrolled children who never attend school or by omitting those who enroll after the reference date for reporting enrolment data. Furthermore, children who drop out of school after the reference date are not counted as out of school. Discrepancies between enrolment and population data from different sources can also result in over- or underestimates of the rate.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) in nearby economies

• Australia — 1.85% (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 3.31% (2024)
• Cambodia — 17.59% (2024)
• Fiji — 2.85% (2023)
• Indonesia — 1.9% (2025)
• Japan — 0.03% (2023)
• Kiribati — 6.16% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.9% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 36.27% (2025)

More education data for Hong Kong SAR, China

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 329,780 (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 28,284 (2024)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 13.35 (2018)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 20.6% (2024)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 341,591 (2018)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Hong Kong SAR, China's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age)?

0.68% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is down 6.82 percentage points from 7.5% in 2001. The highest value was 7.77% in 2003 and the lowest 0.45% in 2015.

How does Hong Kong SAR, China rank?

81st highest of 90 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) unusual for Hong Kong SAR, China?

In 2024, Hong Kong SAR, China's adolescents out of school (% of lower secondary school age) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2023 (from 1.2% to 0.68%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.29 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.6 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.UNER.LO.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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