Key facts
- KDCA data show men's average daily intake at 2,136 calories in 2024, down 11.9% from 2015.
- Women averaged 1,580 calories a day in 2024, a 10.6% decline from 2015, the agency said.
South Korean men ate an average of 2,136 calories a day in 2024, down 11.9% from 2015, and women averaged 1,580 calories, down 10.6%, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data released November 8, 2026 show. Carbohydrates fell as a share of intake while fat and protein rose.
South Korean men ate an average of 2,136 calories a day in 2024 and women 1,580, declines of 11.9% and 10.6% respectively from 2015, according to data the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency released on November 8, 2026. The survey covered Korean nationals aged over 1 year old.
South Korean men ate an average of 2,136 calories a day in 2024 and women 1,580, declines of 11.9% and 10.6% respectively from 2015, according to data the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency released on November 8, 2026. The survey covered Korean nationals aged over 1 year old.
The composition of that intake shifted over the decade. Carbohydrates such as rice and bread accounted for 56.5% of men's calories in 2024, down 6.4 percentage points from 64.6% in 2015, the KDCA data showed. Fat such as butter and oil rose 5.4 percentage points to 26.7% of daily caloric intake, and protein rose to 16.6% from 14.9%.
Women showed a similar pattern. Calories from carbohydrates fell 7.1 percentage points to 56.5%, fat accounted for 26.7% of daily energy intake against 21.3% in 2015, and protein rose to 15.8% from 14.1%.
The KDCA classifies people who eat less than 75% of the recommended caloric intake as undereaters. The share of energy-deficient men rose to 34.6% in 2024 from 23.2% in 2015, and the share of women to 39.7% from 32.4%, the agency's data showed.
Pick the topics you care about. Get only what matters, on your cadence.