A Vietnamese eats 81 packs of instant noodles a year, surpassing Koreans

By Hoang Vu November 9, 2025 | 04:58 pm PT

A recent report shows that the average Vietnamese consumed 81 packs of instant noodles last year, making the country the world's highest per capita consumer of instant noodles.

South Korea ranked second with the average Korean eating 79 packs of instant noodles, Korea Times reported citing the Osaka-based World Instant Noodles Association.

Thailand ranked third in terms of per capita consumption at 57 servings, followed by Nepal at 54, Indonesia 52, Japan and Malaysia 47 each.

Per capita instant noodle consumption tends to be high in Asian countries with traditional noodle-eating cultures.

In Vietnam, tom chua cay, a mixture of shrimp and acidic flavors, is the most popular flavor, and Vietnamese people prefer noodles with elasticity, the association said.

They also add onions, lemons, and peppers to cooked instant noodles. In addition to flour noodles, many products use pho rice noodles, which is unique to Vietnam.

In terms of overall consumption, China topped the list with 43.8 billion servings in 2024, accounting for 35.6% of global demand that year.

Vietnam ranked fourth with 8.1 billion servings after Indonesia and India.

Instant noodles are a hugely popular staple in Vietnam, where the food is a frequent choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.