Rise in elite civil servants leaving prompts calls for hiring rethink

The number of elite Hong Kong public servants who resigned or retired climbed by a third in the past financial year compared with the previous one even as overall civil service turnover declined, prompting calls to expand open recruitment for senior posts.

Figures from the Civil Service Bureau show that 36 administrative officers left the government in 2025-26, up by 33 per cent from 27 a year earlier.

Of the departures, 20 resigned, compared with 18 in 2024-25, while retirements climbed from nine to 15, with 14 at the directorate level.

The figure exceeded the 33 recorded in 2023-24, but remained below the recent peak of 49 in 2022-23.

The administrative officer grade, which counts 755 civil servants in its ranks, is responsible for formulating policies across bureaus and departments.

The grade forms the backbone of the government’s leadership pipeline, with officers eligible to rise to the top rank of permanent secretary.

By contrast, overall civil service wastage fell by 9 per cent to 7,506 in 2025-26, down from 8,288 the previous year.