More NSW students are going to private schools – where are they coming from?

Australian families are increasingly choosing to send their children to private schools.

As of 2025, 17% of Australian students attended private (also known as independent) schools. This is up from 13% in 2006.

In comparison, the proportion of students going to public (also called government) schools dropped from 67% in 2006 to 63% in 2025. Catholic school enrolments remained steady at around 20%.

What do these shifts mean for schools? National school attendance figures can tell us about the the overall population, but they may disguise different patterns in different areas.