Seoul: South Korea's rice output declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, mainly due to a record low cultivation area and changing eating habits, government data showed Thursday. Rice production decreased 1.3 percent on-year to 3.54 million tons this year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This marks the second-lowest annual production level on record, following the 3.51 million tons recorded in 2020.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the decline this year comes as the total size of rice paddies slid 2.9 percent on-year to a record low of 678,000 hectares. It is the smallest figure since the agency began compiling relevant data in 1975. Despite a drop in overall output, output per 100 square meters increased 1.7 percent on-year to 514 kilograms this year, according to the ministry.

Rice remains a staple food in South Korea, but consumption has steadily fallen in recent decades amid shifts in dietary preferences and eating habits.