February 10, 2026
SEOUL – Roughly one in six South Koreans consumes an excessive amount of sugar, with women and younger generations consuming the most, according to a government survey shared Monday.
The national health survey by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed that 16.9 percent of the population exceeded healthy sugar intake levels, meaning sugar accounted for more than 20 percent of total energy intake, in 2023.
Though figures have consistently increased from the 15.2 percent recorded in 2020, they have remained below the 19.2 percent recorded in 2016.
Average daily sugar intake per person increased from 58.7 grams in 2020 to 59.8 grams in 2023, although again decreasing from the 2016 level, which was 67.9 grams.
The World Health Organization recommends that people limit their free sugar intake — sugar added during the processing of food and drinks — to less than 10 percent of their energy intake. WHO says this reduces the risk of tooth decay and becoming overweight or obese.
In particular, the WHO recommendation stresses concern over excessive sugar intake among children. However, the KDCA’s data showed that excessive sugar consumption was more common among youth in Korea than any other age group.
Some 26.7 percent of children aged 1-9 recorded high sugar intake levels, the highest percentage in any age group. Around 17.4 percent of those aged 10-18 had high sugar intake, followed by 17 percent for Koreans aged 19-29.
At 21 percent, women were more likely to have a higher sugar intake than men, at 12.9 percent.
The survey also found that those with high sugar intake levels generally consume more fruit and beverages. Beverages and tea were the largest source of sugar for excessive sugar consumers, followed by fruit, dairy products, frozen desserts and bread or cookies.
Those with high sugar intake consumed about 33.5 grams of fruit per day on average, and 30.4 grams of sweetened beverages per day. This contrasted with the overall daily average of 8.64 grams of fruit and 10.94 grams.
To help curb health concerns related to sugar intake, President Lee Jae Myung last month suggested a sugar tax. The message sent via social media induced mixed reactions, with some welcoming the attempt to curb sugar intake while others raised concerns about price hikes.