Hong Kong has surged to a record fourth place out of 69 global economies in the 2025 World Talent Ranking, a significant advance from last year's ninth place, bolstered by improvements in education and career prospects.

In the ranking published on Tuesday by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region led the way in Asia with an overall score of 80.1, beaten only by Switzerland, which scored 100; Luxembourg, with 83.08; and Iceland, whose score was 82.18.

The city continued to top the ranking in the percentage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates among all graduates. It secured third place for availability of finance skills, and fifth place for remuneration of management as well as effectiveness of management education.

For the second consecutive year, the city improved across all three talent competitiveness factors, ranking third for "readiness", 12th for "investment and development", and 20th for "appeal".

The progress came against a backdrop that has seen Hong Kong making a greater effort to attract global talent. As of the end of August, over 520,000 applications had been received under the city's various talent attraction programs, and more than 350,000 had been approved, according to the SAR government.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the improved ranking mirrors the SAR government's efforts in talent development. Addressing a summit focusing on collaboration between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Lee underscored the International Institute for Management Development's acknowledgment of Hong Kong's exceptional academic accomplishments.

Lee noted that the city's prestigious academic institutions — including its five universities, which have long been ranked among the global top 100 — have cultivated top-tier scientists and research talent.

By harnessing the capabilities of these elite professionals, Hong Kong is "fast rising as an innovation and technology hub", Lee said.

In a social media post, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said that Hong Kong's talent programs, together with its development prospects, have attracted an increasing number of global elites from diverse sectors to the city.

Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said that the ranking fully affirms the SAR government's recent policy direction and efforts in education, innovation and technology, and talent attraction, as well as its active promotion of the "Study in Hong Kong" brand to outstanding students from around the world.

A government spokesperson said the authorities will persist in addressing Hong Kong's human resources needs in alignment with its strategic positioning in eight key areas, or "eight centers", and will enhance training of local talent while diversifying the talent pool through various measures.

Welcoming the progress made in the latest ranking, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city's largest political party, praised the significant edge that Hong Kong enjoys in global talent competition.

The political party urged the government to continue projecting its human resources needs and establish a future talent list to attract much-needed professionals, and it recommended expanding the list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme.

Launched in 2022 as the city's pivotal talent-attraction effort, the program offers a fast-track channel for people who complete their undergraduate education at the world's top universities to allow them to pursue careers in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu, who is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, stressed the need to provide support for new professional arrivals. He called for the government to provide greater assistance for newcomers, especially better information services, such as the support they would need to start their own businesses.