Independent School Enrolments Up 18 Percent Over Five Years, Public Schools Up Just 1 Percent

Retention rates have also improved across the board with less students dropping out.

School students arrive for the first day of face-to-face school in Brisbane, on May 11, 2020. AAP Image/Dan Peled

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals private and catholic school enrolments have dramatically outpaced public schools.

In the last five years, student enrolments in independent schools have increased by 18.5 percent, compared to a 1 percent jump for government school enrolments. Catholic school enrolments also rose 6.6 percent between 2019 to 2024.