Government Secretariat: Education Bureau
This head (Head 156) has a 2026-27 estimate of HK$75.0 billion p.1 (official document, opens in new tab). That is HK$766.9 million (1.0%) less than the 2025-26 revised estimate of HK$75.7 billion p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) (our calculation).
A household on the median income pays about HK$1,120 in salaries tax for 2026/27; about HK$100 of that would go to this department. A household on the median income earns HK$30,000 a month p.17 (official document, opens in new tab). If one married person earns all of it, salaries tax under the 2026/27 rules is about HK$1,120 (our calculation, after MPF and the married person's allowance p.107 (official document, opens in new tab), at progressive rates p.1 (official document, opens in new tab)). (our calculation: HK$1,120 × this head's estimate p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) ÷ total government expenditure of HK$843.4 billion p.12 (official document, opens in new tab). Tax is not earmarked; this splits it in proportion.)
Spending by year
| Year | HK$ million | Comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 Actual | 79,162.6 | p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) | |
| 2025-26 Original estimate | 75,834.2 | p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) | |
| 2025-26 Revised estimate | 75,746.6 | p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) | |
| 2026-27 Estimate | 74,979.6 | p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) |
A revised estimate is the Government's latest view of the current year's spending. Year-on-year changes compare the 2026-27 estimate with the 2025-26 revised estimate.
How many staff?
The establishment goes from 6,368 posts on 31 March 2026 p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) to 6,237 posts on 31 March 2027 p.1 (official document, opens in new tab) (down 131, our calculation).
What is the money for?
The Estimates divide each department's work into programmes. This table shows spending on each programme (HK$ million).
| Programme | 2024-25Actual | 2025-26Revised estimate | 2026-27Estimate | %our calculation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Director of Bureau’s Office | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 0.0% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (2) Pre-primary Education | 5,313.0 | 4,841.5 | 4,520.8 | −6.6% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (3) Primary Education | 25,001.8 | 24,892.7 | 24,445.3 | −1.8% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (4) Secondary Education | 32,524.9 | 32,140.7 | 31,905.4 | −0.7% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (5) Special Education | 3,885.9 | 3,958.9 | 3,997.6 | +1.0% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (6) Other Educational Services and Subsidies | 1,290.2 | 1,486.8 | 1,468.8 | −1.2% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (7) Post-secondary, Vocational and Professional Education | 6,442.6 | 5,446.3 | 5,662.5 | +4.0% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| (8) Policy and Support | 4,689.3 | 2,964.8 | 2,964.3 | 0.0% | p.14 (official document, opens in new tab) |
More lines from the Estimates
| Item | 2024-25Actual | 2025-26Revised estimate | 2026-27Estimate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code of Aid for primary schools (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 21,174.0 | 21,016.6 | 20,527.4 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| Code of Aid for secondary schools (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 25,332.8 | 24,933.9 | 24,540.9 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| Code of Aid for special schools (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 3,791.7 | 3,847.2 | 3,883.7 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| Direct Subsidy Scheme (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 5,535.3 | 5,716.1 | 5,806.7 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| Kindergarten Education Scheme (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 5,285.9 | 4,812.7 | 4,481.2 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
| Vocational Training Council (recurrent subvention) (subvention within Subhead 000) HK$m | 4,192.8 | 2,907.9 | 2,804.4 | p.17 (official document, opens in new tab) |
Which policy areas does it serve?
A department may work in a policy area only in part. We never add department spending into group totals: the Government publishes totals by group only. Index of Policy Areas (PDF)
Read the official document
Estimates, Head 156: Government Secretariat: Education Bureau (PDF). It has the Controlling Officer's Report, each programme's aims and spending by subhead.