Vietnam Ranks First in Instant Noodle Consumption with 87 Packs Per Person Annually... South Korea Second with 73 Packs

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Vietnam has surpassed South Korea to become the country with the highest per capita ramen consumption.

Nongshim cited data from the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) on the global ramen market last year, revealing on the 30th that Vietnam recorded the highest annual per capita ramen consumption at 87 servings. South Korea, which held the top spot until last year, ranked second with 73 servings per year, followed by Nepal in third place with 55 servings.

Vietnam's ramen consumption has been steadily increasing recently, with 55 servings in 2019 and 72 servings in 2020. A Nongshim official explained, "This is analyzed to be due to Vietnam's high purchasing power, driven by recent strong economic growth, and the tendency to have meals at home rather than dining out due to COVID-19."

The overall ramen market size in Vietnam has grown sharply from $5 billion until 2019 to $7 billion in 2020 and $8.6 billion in 2021. Vietnam rose from the 5th largest market globally to 3rd place starting in 2020. As of last year, the market size by country shows China at $44 billion, Indonesia at $13.3 billion as first and second, with Vietnam following behind.