South Korea is seeing a renewed rise in excessive sugar consumption, particularly among children and young adults, according to recent data, highlighting the need for stronger policy measures as President Lee Jaemyung proposes introducing a sugar levy, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
An analysis by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that average daily sugar intake reached 59.8 grams in 2023, up slightly from 58.7 grams in 2020. Although consumption has declined from 67.9 grams recorded in 2016, it remained in the 58-gram range between 2020 and 2022 before increasing again in 2023.
The share of “excessive sugar consumers” — those whose sugar intake accounts for more than 20 per cent of total energy consumption — stood at 16.9 per cent in 2023, meaning roughly one in six people consume excessive sugar.
Children were identified as the most affected group. About 26.7 per cent of those aged 1 to 9 were classified as excessive sugar consumers, the highest among all age groups and the only category exceeding the 20 per cent mark. The proportion was 17.4 per cent among those aged 10 to 18 and 17.0 per cent for individuals aged 19 to 29, indicating relatively high intake levels among adolescents and young adults. By gender, women recorded a higher rate of excessive sugar consumption at 21.0 per cent compared with 12.9 per cent for men.
Beverages and teas were the largest contributors to overall sugar intake, followed by fruits, dairy products and frozen desserts, and bread and confectionery.
The data showed that excessive sugar consumers drank more than three times the amount of beverages and consumed significantly more fruit than non-excessive consumers. Average fruit intake among excessive consumers was 33.5 grams, compared with 8.64 grams for others, while beverage consumption stood at 30.4 grams versus 10.94 grams.
The KDCA said that while the long-term decline in total sugar intake is encouraging, consumption from products with high added sugar, such as beverages and frozen desserts, remains elevated. The agency stressed that continued policy and environmental efforts are necessary to curb sugar consumption.
