A survey found that adults' eating habits have changed since the COVID-19 outbreak. While dining at restaurants has decreased, consumption of delivery and takeout food has increased, and 1 in 4 adults is eating at least one meal a day as delivery or takeout.
On the 18th, an issue report titled "Eating habits of adults in Korea," analyzed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency based on data from the 2016–2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, showed that the share of people who consume delivery or takeout food at least once a day surged with COVID-19 and has remained at that level in recent years.
The study categorized foods eaten at least once in a day into ▲ home-cooked ▲ restaurant food ▲ delivery/takeout ▲ institutional meals and examined changes in consumption share by type.
As a result, the share of people who eat delivery or takeout food at least once a day rose from 18.3% in 2016 to over 20% after the COVID-19 outbreak. It was 21.8% in 2020, 24.2% in 2021, 24.8% in 2022, and 24.3% in 2023, remaining at a high level.
The share of meals eaten at restaurants declined markedly over the same period. The restaurant dining rate fell from 42.9% in 2016 to 33.6% in 2023. It hovered around 42% from 2016 to 2019, but dropped to 30.1% in 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Although it has been recovering, it has not reached the level before the outbreak.
The share of people who ate at least one meal a day at home showed relatively little change. It edged down from 75.8% in 2016 to 69.9% in 2023.
During this period, the increase in delivery and takeout consumption was pronounced among people in their 20s and 30s.
By age group, the share of delivery and takeout consumption among people in their 20s rose from 24.5% in 2016 to 31.8% in 2023, and among people in their 30s it increased from 23.6% to 32.1% over the same period.
The rise in delivery and takeout consumption was particularly notable among people in their 20s and 30s. For those in their 20s, the share increased from 24.5% in 2016 to 31.8% in 2023, and for those in their 30s it went up from 23.6% to 32.1% over the same period.
The increase in delivery and takeout consumption during the COVID-19 period is a global trend. In Korea, delivery food culture had already taken root before COVID-19, and the rapid growth of delivery platforms during the pandemic also had an impact, the agency's research team said.
It was also found that adults who eat at restaurants or consume delivery and takeout food have excessive intake of energy, fat and sodium compared with those who do not.
The research team said, "While restaurant food consumption decreased, delivery and takeout consumption continued to increase," and added, "This is particularly evident among young people in their 20s and 30s, and the upward trend is expected to continue."