Hong Kong sees record low of JUPAS applicants in a decade

Hong Kong has seen a record low of applications for the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) this year, the lowest in nearly a decade.  

JUPAS - the main route to apply for local tertiary institutions - allows applicants to seek entry to full-time programs at the eight institutions funded by the University Grants Committee and the self-financed Hong Kong Metropolitan University.  

According to the JUPAS website, there were 38,955 applicants this year, a drop of 1,057 from last year. The figures have been declining each year since 2013 from the peak of 69,172.  

Reports suggested that the record figure could be a result of the city’s low birth rate and the increasing number of families moving abroad with their children, out of worries about the city’s political status quo.

It also noted that JUPAS updating its program list may also contribute to the drop in application numbers.