In the past 10 years, Hong Kong has seen a steady decline in secondary and post-secondary students. According to UNESCO, 35,361 Hong Kong students are studying abroad at present. The most popular study destination is the United Kingdom, followed by Australia, the United States, and Canada. A total of 17,366 students studied in the UK during the 2022-2023 academic year, a 4.7% increase from the 16,577 students studying in the UK during the 2021-2022 academic year.

There are a few leading sub-sectors to this trend of studying abroad for Hong Kong students. many Hong Kong students cannot gain admission to local universities despite meeting the minimum requirements because of the limited availability of seats. Additionally, students that do gain admission to Hong Kong universities may not be admitted into their preferred programs, which include finance, law, and medicine, as these programs are highly competitive. Consequently, there is a strong demand to study these fields in the West.