Korea's alcoholic beverage output falls to 27-year low in 2025

Korea’s alcoholic beverage production plunged to below 3 million kiloliters (792,516 kilogallons) for the first time in 27 years in 2025, signaling a structural decline in the industry as more Koreans turn to healthy lifestyles, data showed on Sunday.

Shipments of beer and soju have fallen for three consecutive years since 2022, and those of takju, or traditional Korean rice liquor, have dropped for five consecutive years as of 2025, according to data from the National Tax Service.

The total output of alcoholic beverages stood at slightly below 2.99 million kiloliters last year, marking the first time since 1998 that it hovered below 3 million kiloliters.

By type of drinks, beer shipments stood at about 1.52 million kiloliters last year, down 7.2 percent from a year earlier. Soju and takju shipments also fell, recording 793,000 kiloliters and 318,000 kiloliters last year, respectively.

The prolonged decline in shipments of the three popular alcoholic beverages appears to signal a structural shift in drinking trends, driven by growing health consciousness, population decline, the aging population and changing attitudes toward late-night gatherings.

A report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs showed that the volume and frequency of alcohol consumption have slowed recently, with many consumers turning to specific types of drinks or trying out new drinks instead.

In one instance, domestic shipments of fruit wines amounted to 17,000 kiloliters last year, surpassing the 17,000-kiloliter mark for the first time since 2021.

The alcohol industry has been introducing new nonalcoholic, low-alcohol beverages and products with a variety of flavors and scents to offset the decline in shipments of traditional alcoholic drinks.

Yonhap