Hong Kong leaped markedly to fourth in the World Talent Ranking 2025 released on September 9 by the International Institute for Management Development, up from ninth spot last year.

Hong Kong has achieved its highest-ever position in the ranking, securing the top position in Asia, the Switzerland-based business school said in the report.

According to the report, the city has seen improvements across all three talent competitiveness factors for the second consecutive year. Its position in "appeal" rose to 20th, while rankings in "readiness" and "investment and development" climbed to third and 12th, respectively.

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

Hong Kong ranking first in Asia showed that the policy and measures of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government in education, innovation and technology, and talent admission are on the right track and yielding results, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.

By the end of August this year, over 520,000 applications were received under various talent admission schemes, with over 350,000 applications approved. During the same period, over 230,000 people of talent arrived in Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes.