Last year, the per capita consumption of pork, beef, and chicken surpassed that of rice in South Korea. Meat consumption exceeded 60 kilograms for the first time, and pork was the favorite meat of Koreans.
According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute on Mar. 2, the estimated per capita consumption of the three major meats last year was 60.6 kilograms, up 1.3% from the previous year (59.8 kilograms), surpassing rice consumption, which stood at 56.4 kilograms. Meat consumption per capita, which stood at 31.9 kilograms in 2000, surpassed the 40-kilogram mark in 2015 with 46.8 kilograms, and then broke the 50-kilogram barrier in 2018 with 53.9 kilograms. It surpassed rice consumption (56.7 kilograms) in 2022, and last year it surpassed 60 kilograms for the first time. On the other hand, rice consumption, which reached 93.6 kilograms per capita in 2000, has been plummeting to 88.9 kilograms in 2001, 78.8 kilograms in 2006, 69.8 kilograms in 2012, and 59.2 kilograms in 2019.
Per capita consumption of the top three meats is expected to continue to grow, reaching 61.4 kilograms in 2028 and 65.4 kilograms in 2033, respectively, the institute said.
Pork (30.1 kilograms) accounted for half of all meat consumption per capita last year, followed by chicken (15.7 kilograms) and beef (14.8 kilograms). This is likely due to the fact that pork is relatively inexpensive and is used in a variety of dishes, including grilled, stewed, dumplings, soup, and bulgogi.
Consumers also prefer pork as their favorite meat for cooking. Researchers surveyed a panel of 554 consumers from Dec. 21-26 last year, and 67.6% of respondents said pork was their favorite meat to eat at home. This was followed by beef at 19.3%, chicken at 12.2%, and duck at 0.9%. When it comes to how pork is prepared, 62.5% of respondents chose grilled, while 37.5% chose cooked. The most preferred cut of pork was pork belly (62.3%), followed by pork shoulder (21.3%), ribs (9.5%), and front and back legs (3.6%).
This article was originally written on Mar. 02. 2024.
