That humble packet of instant noodles has truly captured the world’s heart. A new report highlights just how much some nations love their quick meals. South Korea stands out as a major consumer, but surprisingly, they aren’t at the very top. They rank second globally for how many instant noodle servings each person eats. Vietnam, it turns out, is the undisputed champion.
The World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) released these interesting figures. Their report, dated October 9, 2025, comes from their headquarters in Osaka, Japan. It details the incredible global appetite for instant noodles. The numbers show a clear picture of who can’t get enough of these convenient meals.
South Koreans, known for their love of “ramyeon,” ate a staggering 4.1 billion packs in 2024. When you divide that by their population of about 51.75 million people, it means each person ate around 79.2 packs. This puts South Korea in the second spot for individual consumption. However, for total volume, they ranked eighth worldwide.
But someone eats even more. Vietnam takes the top spot for individual consumption. People there consume an average of 81 packs per person each year. With a population of about 100 million, Vietnam’s total consumption reached 8.14 billion packs. This placed them fourth globally in terms of overall quantity.
Not far behind, Thailand secured the third position. People in Thailand enjoyed about 57 packs of instant noodles per person annually. Other countries showing a strong fondness for these noodles include Nepal at 54 packs, and Indonesia at 52 packs. Japan and Malaysia both came in at 47 packs per person. Taiwan followed with 40, the Philippines with 39, and finally, China, including Hong Kong, averaged 31 packs per person.