The International Institute for Management Development today published its World Talent Ranking 2025, with Hong Kong's ranking leaping markedly to fourth globally from ninth last year, marking the highest-ever ranking and ranking first in Asia.

For the second consecutive year, Hong Kong improved across all three ranked talent competitiveness factors. Its ranking rose by eight places to 20th in "appeal", and by one place for both "readiness" and "investment and development" to third and 12th respectively.

Among the indicators, Hong Kong continued to top the ranking in the percentage of graduates in sciences. The city rose to third in the availability of finance skills, and ranked fifth in the remuneration of management as well as effectiveness of management education.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government pointed out that Hong Kong ranking first in Asia is clear evidence that its policies and measures in education, innovation and technology, and talent admission have found the right direction and are getting results.

Chief Executive John Lee also highlighted this ranking at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2025 this morning.

“Our ranking rose 12 places over the past two years, a clear testament to the Hong Kong SAR Government's enhanced efforts in education and talent development.

“The World Talent Ranking, I am pleased to add, recognises Hong Kong's outstanding academic achievement, ranking us first in the indicator "Graduates in Sciences". Yes, Hong Kong is the only city in the globe with as many as five universities in the world's top 100. Our excellent institutions nurture world-class scientists and research talent in different disciplines.”

Given that the talent attraction measures are effective, the Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that it will continue to target the manpower demand of Hong Kong's strategic positioning of "eight centres" and refine the measures in a timely manner, enhance training of relevant local talent, and at the same time further enhance the diversity of the talent pool and effectiveness of the talent attraction measures to strengthen the talent support for Hong Kong’s future development.

As of the end of August, more than 520,000 applications had been received under various talent admission schemes, with more than 350,000 applications approved. Additionally, more than 230,000 people of talent arrived in Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes over the same period.