Agricultural production in South Korea
According to FAOSTAT, South Korea produced 5.0 million t of cereals, 9.1 million t of vegetables (17th in the world), 2.9 million t of fruit, 2.8 million t of meat and 1.8 million t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were rice (4.8 million t), cabbages (2.4 million t) and dry onions (1.2 million t).
- Products recorded
- 101
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 12
- products
- Year
- 2024
South Korea ranks second or third in the world for persimmons and leeks.
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in tomatoes (−36%), followed by watermelons (−36%).
Livestock numbers: 3.9 million cattle, 10.8 million pigs, 1,391 sheep and 316,833 goats.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All vegetables | 9,087,945 | 17 | 0.77% | −13% |
| All cereals | 4,984,351 | 57 | 0.16% | −15% |
| All fruit | 2,904,160 | 48 | 0.3% | −23% |
| All meat | 2,840,561 | 26 | 0.76% | +22% |
| All milk | 1,775,513 | 63 | 0.18% | −20% |
| All roots and tubers | 883,052 | 82 | 0.09% | −3.2% |
| All eggs | 839,142 | 19 | 0.84% | +28% |
| All citrus fruit | 641,329 | 30 | 0.39% | −11% |
| All tree nuts | 72,620 | 34 | 0.39% | −8.3% |
| All pulses | 14,401 | 117 | 0.01% | −26% |
All products by volume, 2024
| Product | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice (paddy) | 4,783,114 | 18 | 0.58% | −15% |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 3,246,882 | 8 | 1.15% | −1.1% |
| Cabbages | 2,378,687 | 4 | 3.15% | −19% |
| Cow milk | 1,766,401 | 59 | 0.22% | −20% |
| Beer | 1,687,100 | 24 | 0.91% | −19% |
| Skim milk of cows | 1,505,820 | 24 | 1.05% | −6.4% |
| Pork (pig meat) | 1,455,000 | 12 | 1.16% | +21% |
| Onions, dry | 1,175,276 | 20 | 1.09% | −26% |
| Chicken meat | 935,000 | 30 | 0.73% | +31% |
| Hen eggs | 807,142 | 18 | 0.86% | +29% |
| Tangerines and mandarins | 640,229 | 13 | 1.23% | −11% |
| Potatoes | 568,625 | 58 | 0.15% | −3.7% |
| Apples | 460,088 | 27 | 0.47% | −3.1% |
| Spring onions and shallots | 449,753 | 5 | 8.06% | −2.8% |
| Watermelons | 442,884 | 27 | 0.42% | −36% |
| Beef (cattle meat) | 370,000 | 34 | 0.53% | +10% |
| Tomatoes | 319,941 | 54 | 0.17% | −36% |
| Sweet potatoes | 314,426 | 28 | 0.35% | −2.4% |
| Pumpkins and squash | 306,851 | 20 | 0.89% | −11% |
| Cucumbers | 288,552 | 17 | 0.33% | +3.4% |
| Green garlic | 284,936 | 5 | 0.96% | −20% |
| Persimmons | 223,629 | 2 | 4.44% | −48% |
| Chillies and peppers, green | 210,793 | 21 | 0.47% | −22% |
| Melons | 208,019 | 20 | 0.74% | +32% |
| Edible offal of pigs, fresh, chilled or frozen | 194,655 | 7 | 2.37% | +21% |
| Soya bean oil | 193,200 | 26 | 0.32% | +26% |
| Peaches and nectarines | 192,495 | 15 | 0.69% | −8.5% |
| Grapes | 186,965 | 39 | 0.25% | −30% |
| Pears | 178,451 | 13 | 0.65% | −41% |
| Strawberries | 169,267 | 10 | 1.58% | −19% |
| Soybeans | 154,954 | 36 | 0.04% | +11% |
| Leeks | 153,261 | 3 | 7.18% | +7.2% |
| Other fruits, n.e.c. | 141,568 | 34 | 0.36% | −39% |
| Lettuce and chicory | 106,537 | 19 | 0.38% | −2.0% |
| Fat of pigs | 98,311 | 11 | 0.86% | +21% |
| Maize | 89,000 | 104 | 0.01% | +8.5% |
| Carrots and turnips | 80,837 | 50 | 0.18% | −3.0% |
| Duck meat | 73,711 | 8 | 1% | −6.7% |
| Butter of cow milk | 63,403 | 22 | 1.06% | −6.4% |
| Spinach | 57,179 | 16 | 0.19% | −32% |
| Oil of maize | 52,300 | 13 | 1.7% | +321% |
| Chestnuts, in shell | 52,241 | 6 | 2.49% | −12% |
| Plums | 50,501 | 26 | 0.4% | −14% |
| Barley | 47,730 | 72 | 0.03% | −46% |
| Other oil seeds, n.e.c. | 46,873 | 11 | 1.93% | +8.4% |
| Raw hides and skins of cattle | 43,672 | 29 | 0.5% | +10% |
| Edible offal of cattle, fresh, chilled or frozen | 42,459 | 37 | 0.44% | +10% |
| Wheat | 37,376 | 89 | 0% | +60% |
| Skim milk and whey powder | 35,382 | 21 | 0.75% | −8.4% |
| Eggs from other birds in shell, fresh, n.e.c. | 32,000 | 7 | 0.51% | −0.9% |
| Honey | 31,216 | 16 | 1.57% | +23% |
| Tobacco, unmanufactured | 27,948 | 22 | 0.46% | +0.1% |
| Mushrooms | 23,436 | 24 | 0.05% | +17% |
| Cottonseed oil | 22,800 | 18 | 0.55% | −17% |
| Ginger | 21,878 | 16 | 0.45% | +241% |
| Cereals n.e.c. | 21,538 | 19 | 0.27% | +44% |
| Other nuts | 19,234 | 14 | 1.76% | +3.9% |
| Tea leaves | 18,400 | 26 | 0.06% | +56% |
| Cattle fat, unrendered | 16,984 | 22 | 0.5% | +11% |
| Buttermilk, dry | 15,723 | 15 | 2.4% | — |
| Oil of sesame seed | 15,300 | 13 | 1.27% | −48% |
| Whole milk, condensed | 14,015 | 20 | 0.71% | +205% |
| Groundnuts (peanuts) | 10,000 | 68 | 0.02% | −19% |
| Goat milk | 9,113 | 80 | 0.04% | +15% |
| Sesame seed | 9,002 | 41 | 0.13% | −26% |
| Other pulses n.e.c. | 8,416 | 52 | 0.19% | −16% |
| Kiwi fruit | 8,008 | 15 | 0.18% | −8.5% |
| Beans, dry | 5,979 | 76 | 0.02% | −36% |
| Eggplants | 4,940 | 61 | 0.01% | −10% |
| Tea, packed | 4,185 | 37 | 0.06% | +51% |
| Whole milk powder | 4,173 | 45 | 0.08% | −13% |
| Beeswax | 4,067 | 4 | 6.3% | +4.1% |
| Sorghum | 2,932 | 82 | 0% | +10% |
| Other meat of mammals, fresh or chilled | 2,812 | 21 | 0.18% | +0.9% |
| Whole milk, evaporated | 2,397 | 42 | 0.08% | −43% |
| Rabbit meat | 2,242 | 15 | 0.26% | +26% |
| Goat meat | 1,782 | 93 | 0.02% | +19% |
| Buckwheat | 1,658 | 12 | 0.08% | −14% |
| Rapeseed or canola oil, crude | 1,500 | 55 | 0% | −91% |
| Walnuts, in shell | 1,146 | 43 | 0.03% | −3.9% |
| Other citrus fruit, n.e.c. | 1,100 | 42 | 0.01% | 0.0% |
| Margarine and shortening | 1,041 | 85 | 0.01% | −9.9% |
| Groundnut oil | 1,033 | 66 | 0.02% | −9.5% |
| Millet | 1,000 | 61 | 0% | −36% |
| Rapeseed | 1,000 | 60 | 0% | 0.0% |
| Pineapples | 957 | 74 | 0% | +0.7% |
| Oil of linseed | 500 | 42 | 0.06% | +91% |
| Edible offal of goat, fresh, chilled or frozen | 356 | 85 | 0.02% | +19% |
| Raw hides and skins of goats or kids | 296 | 86 | 0.02% | +19% |
| Cauliflower and broccoli | 84 | 93 | 0% | −8.7% |
| Goat fat, unrendered | 61 | 85 | 0.02% | +20% |
| Coconut oil | 51 | 56 | 0% | −93% |
| True hemp, raw or retted | 16 | 18 | 0% | −20% |
| Silk-worm cocoons suitable for reeling | 10 | 18 | 0% | +67% |
| Goose meat | 9 | 28 | 0% | −40% |
| Peas, dry | 6 | 95 | 0% | +20% |
| Sheep meat | 5 | 173 | 0% | −50% |
| Rye | 3 | 62 | 0% | +50% |
| Edible offal of sheep, fresh, chilled or frozen | 2 | 143 | 0% | −33% |
| Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs | 1 | 147 | 0% | −50% |
| Raw silk (not thrown) | 1 | 19 | 0% | 0.0% |
Live animals, 2024
| Product | Head | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickens | 178,474,000 | 29 | 0.64% | +14% |
| Pigs | 10,845,848 | 13 | 1.13% | +7.5% |
| Ducks | 7,158,000 | 18 | 0.56% | −5.1% |
| Cattle | 3,889,278 | 60 | 0.25% | +22% |
| Bees | 2,130,691 | 11 | 2.09% | +9.1% |
| Goats | 316,833 | 104 | 0.03% | +26% |
| Rabbits and hares | 88,000 | 30 | 0.04% | −24% |
| Horses | 27,329 | 80 | 0.05% | +5.8% |
| Turkeys | 8,000 | 60 | 0% | −27% |
| Geese | 4,000 | 38 | 0% | −33% |
| Sheep | 1,391 | 172 | 0% | −37% |
South Korea among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of South Korea, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
South Korea had 51.7 million inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice (paddy) | 92.5 | 100 | 0.9× |
| Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. | 62.8 | 34.5 | 1.8× |
| Cabbages | 46.0 | 9.25 | 5.0× |
| Cow milk | 34.2 | 97.7 | 0.3× |
| Beer | 32.6 | 22.7 | 1.4× |
| Skim milk of cows | 29.1 | 17.5 | 1.7× |
| Pork (pig meat) | 28.1 | 15.4 | 1.8× |
| Onions, dry | 22.7 | 13.3 | 1.7× |
| Chicken meat | 18.1 | 15.7 | 1.2× |
| Hen eggs | 15.6 | 11.5 | 1.4× |
| Tangerines and mandarins | 12.4 | 6.36 | 1.9× |
| Potatoes | 11.0 | 47.8 | 0.2× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
South Korea reported exports of 114 and imports of 147 of the products covered here.
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer of barley, malted | 103,164 | USD 79.0 m | 0.77 | 24 of 149 |
| Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled | 57,158 | USD 72.9 m | 1.27 | 28 of 123 |
| Strawberries | 4,557 | USD 67.5 m | 14.82 | 19 of 87 |
| Pears | 16,679 | USD 58.8 m | 3.53 | 13 of 84 |
| Grapes | 4,789 | USD 56.8 m | 11.85 | 33 of 103 |
| Chillies and peppers, green (Capsicum spp. and Pimenta spp.) | 15,208 | USD 51.4 m | 3.38 | 26 of 125 |
| Unmanufactured tobacco | 4,654 | USD 37.7 m | 8.09 | 42 of 101 |
| Mushrooms and truffles | 12,999 | USD 36.8 m | 2.83 | 8 of 93 |
| Whole milk, condensed | 17,992 | USD 35.1 m | 1.95 | 8 of 104 |
| Chillies and peppers, dry (Capsicum spp., Pimenta spp.), raw | 3,716 | USD 21.2 m | 5.70 | 18 of 127 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maize (corn) | 11,341,682 | USD 2.90 bn | 0.26 | 4 of 190 |
| Wheat | 4,594,080 | USD 1.40 bn | 0.30 | 16 of 176 |
| Meat of cattle with the bone, fresh or chilled | 147,429 | USD 1.11 bn | 7.51 | 4 of 169 |
| Raw cane or beet sugar (centrifugal only) | 1,544,447 | USD 880 m | 0.57 | 12 of 183 |
| Coffee, green | 174,874 | USD 857 m | 4.90 | 12 of 177 |
| Soya beans | 1,148,399 | USD 715 m | 0.62 | 19 of 165 |
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 118,556 | USD 603 m | 5.09 | 18 of 192 |
| Palm oil | 625,193 | USD 591 m | 0.94 | 19 of 191 |
| Wine | 52,034 | USD 462 m | 8.88 | 31 of 192 |
| Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled | 218,128 | USD 450 m | 2.06 | 18 of 189 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in South Korea?
By volume, the largest products of South Korea in 2024 were rice (paddy) (4.8 million t), other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. (3.2 million t), cabbages (2.4 million t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is South Korea the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 2nd, for persimmons.
How much rice (paddy) does South Korea produce per person?
About 92.5 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 100 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does South Korea export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were beer of barley, malted (USD 79.0 m), meat of chickens, fresh or chilled (USD 72.9 m), strawberries (USD 67.5 m), according to FAOSTAT.
What does South Korea import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were maize (corn) (USD 2.90 bn), wheat (USD 1.40 bn), meat of cattle with the bone, fresh or chilled (USD 1.11 bn).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.