Spirits consumption per person in South Korea

South Korea: Spirits consumption per person was 0.31 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
0.31
Change on year
up 47.6%
World rank
137th
of 187 countries
All-time high
2.7
in 1994
All-time low
0.09
in 1998
Years of data
62
1961–2022

Spirits consumption per person in South Korea, 1961–2022

0123196119912022

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for spirits consumption per person in South Korea is 0.31, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 47.6% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, spirits consumption per person in South Korea peaked at 2.7 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.09, in 1998.

South Korea ranks 137th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Spirits consumption per person in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Spirits consumption per person in South Korea, 1961 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1961 0.41 —
1962 0.41 +0.0%
1963 0.34 -17.1%
1964 0.33 -2.9%
1965 0.5 +51.5%
1966 0.6 +20.0%
1967 0.2 -66.7%
1968 0.18 -10.0%
1969 0.19 +5.6%
1970 0.21 +10.5%
1971 0.23 +9.5%
1972 0.23 +0.0%
1973 0.26 +13.0%
1974 0.3 +15.4%
1975 0.38 +26.7%
1976 0.4 +5.3%
1977 0.42 +5.0%
1978 0.4 -4.8%
1979 0.38 -5.0%
1980 0.38 +0.0%
1981 0.42 +10.5%
1982 0.44 +4.8%
1983 0.45 +2.3%
1984 0.48 +6.7%
1985 0.44 -8.3%
1986 0.45 +2.3%
1987 0.46 +2.2%
1988 0.52 +13.0%
1989 0.5 -3.8%
1990 0.59 +18.0%
1991 2.47 +318.6%
1992 0.58 -76.5%
1993 2.61 +350.0%
1994 2.7 +3.4%
1995 2.67 -1.1%
1996 0.16 -94.0%
1997 0.12 -25.0%
1998 0.09 -25.0%
1999 0.12 +33.3%
2000 0.72 +500.0%
2001 0.87 +20.8%
2002 0.67 -23.0%
2003 0.68 +1.5%
2004 0.94 +38.2%
2005 0.34 -63.8%
2006 0.33 -2.9%
2007 0.37 +12.1%
2008 0.33 -10.8%
2009 0.27 -18.2%
2010 0.4 +48.1%
2011 0.38 -5.0%
2012 0.37 -2.6%
2013 0.38 +2.7%
2014 0.33 -13.2%
2015 0.34 +3.0%
2016 0.3 -11.8%
2017 0.28 -6.7%
2018 0.26 -7.1%
2019 0.23 -11.5%
2020 0.21 -8.7%
2021 0.21 +0.0%
2022 0.31 +47.6%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 0.31 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.79, 17% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 0.31 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.45, 69% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Spirits consumption per person in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2000 +500.0% 0.12 0.72
1993 +350.0% 0.58 2.61
1991 +318.6% 0.59 2.47
1996 -94.0% 2.67 0.16

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0.3511 0.18 0.6 9
1970s 0.321 0.21 0.42 10
1980s 0.454 0.38 0.52 10
1990s 1.21 0.09 2.7 10
2000s 0.552 0.27 0.94 10
2010s 0.327 0.23 0.4 10
2020s 0.2433 0.21 0.31 3

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 134 Sao Tome and Principe 0.3437 compare
  2. 135 Costa Rica 0.3391 compare
  3. 136 United Arab Emirates 0.3151 compare
  4. 138 Kenya 0.292 compare
  5. 139 Oman 0.2864 compare
  6. 140 Rwanda 0.2708 compare

See the full ranking of 187 places →

More economy & growth data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is spirits consumption per person in South Korea?
Spirits consumption per person in South Korea was 0.31 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest spirits consumption per person recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 2.7 in 1994.
What is the lowest spirits consumption per person recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.09 in 1998.
How does South Korea rank for spirits consumption per person?
South Korea ranks 137th out of 187 countries with data for 2022.
Is spirits consumption per person rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Spirits consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Spirits consumption per person in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/spirits-consumption-per-person/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Spirits consumption per person
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 10,599 data points, 1960–2022
Last refreshed