Koreans Eat Less Than One and a Half Bowls of Rice a Day

Per Capita Rice Consumption at 53.9kg
Lowest on Record in 40 Years of Decline
K-Food Boom Drives Popularity of Rice Cakes and Snacks

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation's data, the average retail price of 20kg of rice is 60,294 won, a 17.2% increase compared to last year. On the 5th, rice was displayed at the sales counter of Hanaro Mart Yangjae Branch in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the 3,000 won discount event per 20kg of rice, which has been ongoing in cooperation with large retailers since the 1st of last month, will be increased to 5,000 won starting from the 11th, considering the recent rise in rice prices. September 5, 2025 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

It has been found that people in Korea eat less than one and a half bowls of rice per day. While rice consumption continues to decline, the production of foods made from rice is increasing, fueled by the K-food boom.

According to the "2025 Grain Consumption Survey" released by the National Data Agency on January 22, the average annual per capita rice consumption last year was 53.9 kilograms, down 1.9 kilograms (3.4%) from a year earlier. This is about half the amount consumed in 1995, which was 117.9 kilograms.

Last year, the average daily per capita rice consumption was 147.7 grams, a decrease of 3.4% (5.2 grams) compared to the previous year. Given that one bowl of rice uses about 100 grams of rice, this means that a person ate roughly one and a half bowls per day.

Per capita grain consumption rose to the 120-130 kilogram range, but has declined for 40 consecutive years since 1985 (128.1 kilograms) through last year. The decrease in rice consumption is attributed to ongoing changes in eating habits and food culture.

The annual per capita grain consumption, including other grains such as barley, wheat flour, and mixed grains, also fell to 62.5 kilograms, down 1.9 kilograms (3%) from the previous year’s 64.4 kilograms, marking the lowest level since statistics began to be compiled.

Although rice consumption continues to decrease, the production of foods made from rice is on the rise, driven by the K-food boom. The amount of rice used as a raw material in the food and beverage manufacturing sectors reached 932,102 tons, up 6.7% (58,739 tons) from a year earlier. For the first time since related statistics began in 2011, the figure surpassed 900,000 tons. The food manufacturing sector includes products such as rice cakes, instant rice, and rice snacks, while the beverage manufacturing sector covers products such as Takju (Korean rice wine) and Sikhye (sweet rice drink).