HK returns to top 10 World Talent Ranking

The government said this is a "clear evidence of remarkable progress" in education and talent admission efforts.

Hong Kong has returned to the top 10 of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Talent Ranking 2024 for the first time since 2016, rising from 16th to ninth place. 

The city saw improvements across all three talent competitiveness factors compared to the previous year, topping the ranking for the percentage of graduates in the sciences and ranking amongst the top five for availability of finance skills, management education effectiveness, and management remuneration.

The government hailed the achievement as "clear evidence of remarkable progress" in education and talent admission efforts. 

In the 2022 Policy Address, measures were introduced to attract global talent, including the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which targets high-income professionals and top university graduates. Enhancements were also made to existing talent admission schemes to boost the local talent pool.

The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address further outlined strategies to enhance quality education and position Hong Kong as an international post-secondary education hub. By the end of August, over 360,000 applications had been submitted under various talent schemes, with nearly 230,000 approvals and more than 150,000 individuals arriving in Hong Kong.

To support incoming talent, the Hong Kong Talent Engage initiative was launched in October 2022, offering one-stop support services.