Public schools are being squeezed by surging enrolments at the same time as the number of government schools around Australia declines.

And a record number of Indigenous students are also staying in school, with the proportion of high school starters who complete year 12 eclipsing 60 per cent for the first time.

An annual stocktake of the nation's schools, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Friday, shows parents continuing a shift away from private education that first started three years ago.

Government schools' share of student enrolments rose to 65.6 per cent in 2017, up from 65.4 per cent in 2016 and 65.1 per cent in 2014. ABS figures previously released to Fairfax Media show much of that increase has been driven by wealthy parents choosing public schools.