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Hong Kong textbook prices jump, parents call for student subsidy return
Hong Kong Education Bureau data shows a 3.6% average increase for the 2026-27 school year, the fastest rise since 2020.
Hong Kong parents and concern groups are urging authorities to reinstate student subsidies after textbook prices rose at their sharpest pace since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to SCMP Economy.
The Education Bureau book list data cited by the outlet shows a price range of HK$4,000, or about US$510, to HK$6,000 for a list of textbooks, with an average increase of 3.6% for the 2026-27 academic year, the highest since 2020.
During the pandemic, prices barely rose, averaging 0.1% growth, after the bureau asked publishers to freeze increases. In 2020-21, more than 90% of titles were frozen, but that proportion has since fallen to 20% for 2026-27, the lowest on record.
SCMP Economy also noted that textbook retailer T.H. Lee Book Company said the shift toward digital teaching materials is squeezing print runs and pushing up prices, with some families also buying second-hand books.