Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea
South Korea: Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days was 57.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea is 57.7%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea peaked at 65.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 57.7%, in 2020.
That places South Korea 18th out of 186 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 65.4% | — |
| 2001 | 65.6% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 63.9% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 63.6% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 62.8% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 62.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 61.7% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 61.5% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 61.4% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 60.8% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 60.4% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 60.3% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 60.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 60.0% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 59.2% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 59.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 58.9% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 58.7% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 58.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 58.1% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 57.7% | -0.8% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 57.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 38.1%, 1.5× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 57.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.7%, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.9% | 60.8% | 65.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 58.1% | 60.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.7% | 57.7% | 57.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 15 Micronesia (country) 60.3% compare
- 16 Solomon Islands 59.2% compare
- 17 Laos 59.1% compare
- 19 Papua New Guinea 57.3% compare
- 20 Tuvalu 56.2% compare
- 21 Burundi 55.7% compare
More social development data for South Korea
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,407 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea?
- Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days in South Korea was 57.7% in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 65.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.7% in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days?
- South Korea ranks 18th out of 186 countries with data for 2020.
- Is alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Alcohol, heavy episodic drinking (15+), drinkers only, past 30 days (%), age-standardized. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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