Can't Finish a Bowl of Rice? Instant Rice Shrinks as Rice Consumption Falls

How much does a standard bowl of rice weigh?

Reflecting statistics showing that South Korea's rice consumption is steadily declining, the food industry is offering smaller portions of rice.

In 2024, annual per capita rice consumption in South Korea stood at 55.6 kg.

This marks an all-time low, nearly halving compared to the 1990s when consumption exceeded 100 kg.

In line with this trend, the weight of instant rice, which typically hovered around 210g per bowl, is gradually decreasing.

One food company has released a 110g version, which is about half that size.

Other companies are also introducing small-portion instant rice products weighing around 150g, 140g, and 130g.

In the instant rice market, the market share of 130g products stood at the 9% range in the first half of 2024, but jumped 7 percentage points in one year to the 16% range in the first half of this year.

Sales of small-portion mixed grain rice under 180g also surged by 80% over the same period.

Analysts attribute this shift to the spread of light-eating culture and low-carbohydrate diets, as well as the growing number of single-person households, which are changing the very standard of a bowl of rice.

(Source: Ottogi, CJ CheilJedang, Harim, Themisik, Dongwon F&B, BGF Retail)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.