Per capita rice consumption in South Korea 2006-2022

In 20221, the rice consumption per capita amounted to 56.7 kilograms in South Korea. Rice consumption in South Korea has decreased significantly over the past decade, while the consumption of processed rice products has relatively increased.

Rice production in South Korea

The production volume of rice in 2022 dropped of from the previous year. This continued the overall declining trend overall for the domestic rice production volume, as well as for the export value of rice from South Korea. In comparison, the import value of rice to the country has increased in recent years and surpassed four hundred million U.S. dollars in 2021.

Variety of rice products

Koreans enjoy consuming a variety of products made from rice. According to a survey, the most frequently purchased rice products by consumers were instant precooked rice and rice cakes, also called “Tteok”. These two were also internationally popular. Especially, the exports of instant rice products have shown significant growth over the past years.