Korea maintains 97.9 percent internet penetration. A projected 34.0 percent of the population will reach age 65 and older. Adult obesity stands at 38.8 percent with 8.2 percent current smoking.
Key Takeaways
- 34.0% of Korea’s population is projected to be aged 65+ by 2060 (UN projection), indicating continued long-run demand for health and wellness services
- Korea’s life expectancy at birth was 83.2 years in 2022 (World Bank), supporting longer healthy-life planning and wellness demand
- 14.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (infant mortality rate, 2023 estimate) in Korea, reflecting maternal/child health system context for wellness programming
- 38.8% of adults in Korea were obese in 2019 (OECD, age-standardized)
- 8.2% of Koreans reported current smoking in 2022 (OECD health data), supporting growth in wellness/behavior-change services
- Korea’s hospital care spending was 34.7% of current health expenditure in 2022 (OECD SHA), indicating large care system where wellness programs can integrate
- Korea’s domestic market for medical devices reached KRW 8.1 trillion in 2022 (Korea Health Industry Development Institute, KHIDI; trade/market briefing figure), enabling growth in wellness devices
- Korea’s health functional food (HFF) market was KRW 4.5 trillion in 2022 (Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reporting summary via KHIDI publication), supporting nutrition-focused wellness
- Korea’s internet penetration was 97.9% in 2024 (Korea Communications Commission figures summarized by DataReportal)
- Korea’s wearable device shipments were 22.5 million units in 2023 (IDC wearable shipments tracker for the country, included in IDC/Cognitive service report excerpts), indicating consumer adoption of health wearables
- Global sales of wearables hit 796 million units in 2023 (IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, reported by IDC press release), which underpins Korea market adoption of wellness wearables
- Korea’s health functional food consumers totaled 2.9 million in 2021 (Korea MFDS consumer survey summary published by KHIDI), showing nutrition supplement wellness uptake
- Korea’s number of telemedicine users reached 1.6 million in 2022 (Korea MOHW press release on telemedicine statistics), supporting remote health/wellness service adoption
- Korea’s inbound tourism receipts were USD 30.3 billion in 2023 (World Bank WDI), supporting wellness travel economics
- 24.3% of adults in Korea were physically inactive (insufficient activity) (2022), indicating a sizable market for exercise interventions and digital coaching
With aging demographics, rising obesity and chronic risks, and rapid digital and wearable adoption, Korea’s wellness market is accelerating.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics3 stats
01
34.0% of Korea’s population is projected to be aged 65+ by 2060 (UN projection), indicating continued long-run demand for health and wellness services
02
Korea’s life expectancy at birth was 83.2 years in 2022 (World Bank), supporting longer healthy-life planning and wellness demand
03
14.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (infant mortality rate, 2023 estimate) in Korea, reflecting maternal/child health system context for wellness programming
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
With 34.0% of Korea’s population projected to be aged 65+ by 2060 and life expectancy reaching 83.2 years in 2022, the Demographics picture points to sustained long-term demand for wellness and healthy aging across the country.
02 · Category
Health Indicators2 stats
01
38.8% of adults in Korea were obese in 2019 (OECD, age-standardized)
02
8.2% of Koreans reported current smoking in 2022 (OECD health data), supporting growth in wellness/behavior-change services
Interpretation
Health Indicators Interpretation
In the Health Indicators category, Korea’s 38.8% adult obesity rate in 2019 alongside 8.2% current smoking in 2022 signals a clear demand for wellness and behavior change services that address both weight and smoking-related health risks.
03 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
Korea’s hospital care spending was 34.7% of current health expenditure in 2022 (OECD SHA), indicating large care system where wellness programs can integrate
02
Korea’s domestic market for medical devices reached KRW 8.1 trillion in 2022 (Korea Health Industry Development Institute, KHIDI; trade/market briefing figure), enabling growth in wellness devices
03
Korea’s health functional food (HFF) market was KRW 4.5 trillion in 2022 (Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reporting summary via KHIDI publication), supporting nutrition-focused wellness
04
Korea’s HFF exports were USD 1.6 billion in 2022 (Korea Customs/NTS trade data summarized by KHIDI), indicating demand beyond domestic market
05
Korea’s dietary supplement (health functional food) production exceeded KRW 3.1 trillion in 2022 (KHIDI industry brief using MFDS production stats), supporting manufacturing scale for wellness
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Korea’s wellness-related market is sizable and expanding, with 2022 figures showing KRW 8.1 trillion in medical devices and KRW 4.5 trillion in health functional foods at home, alongside strong growth signals like KRW 3.1 trillion in HFF production and USD 1.6 billion in exports.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends11 stats
01
Korea’s internet penetration was 97.9% in 2024 (Korea Communications Commission figures summarized by DataReportal)
02
Korea’s wearable device shipments were 22.5 million units in 2023 (IDC wearable shipments tracker for the country, included in IDC/Cognitive service report excerpts), indicating consumer adoption of health wearables
03
Global sales of wearables hit 796 million units in 2023 (IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, reported by IDC press release), which underpins Korea market adoption of wellness wearables
04
Korea’s digital health investment increased to KRW 1.2 trillion in 2023 (Korea Digital Health Industry report by Korea Health Industry Development Institute; reported funding figure), supporting app- and device-based wellness
05
Korea’s health promotion/fitness market expanded to KRW 10.3 trillion in 2023 (estimated by market research), indicating a growing wellness services segment
06
Korea’s weight management market reached KRW 1.3 trillion in 2023 (estimated by market research), indicating demand for obesity management and diet programs
07
The Korean spa/sauna (wellness facilities) market reached KRW 3.4 trillion in 2023 (estimated by market research), reflecting consumer spend on relaxation and thermal wellness
08
Korea’s health insurance/benefits provider market for wellness (supplemental health services) is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% during 2024–2029 (industry forecast), supporting expansion of bundled wellness offerings
09
Korea’s home fitness (exercise equipment and related services) market forecast to reach KRW 4.9 trillion by 2028 (industry forecast), indicating long-term growth for at-home wellness
10
Korea’s digital therapeutics market is forecast to grow from KRW 62.0 billion in 2023 to KRW 280.0 billion by 2028 (industry forecast), supporting digitally delivered lifestyle and chronic care wellness
11
Korea’s meditation/mental wellness market is forecast to reach KRW 1.1 trillion by 2028 (industry forecast), indicating growth in stress-reduction wellness products and services
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Korea Wellness Industry, the industry trends are clearly accelerating as Korea’s digital health investment climbed to KRW 1.2 trillion in 2023 and wearable shipments reached 22.5 million units the same year, alongside strong market growth in fitness and weight management to KRW 10.3 trillion and KRW 1.3 trillion respectively.
05 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
Korea’s health functional food consumers totaled 2.9 million in 2021 (Korea MFDS consumer survey summary published by KHIDI), showing nutrition supplement wellness uptake
02
Korea’s number of telemedicine users reached 1.6 million in 2022 (Korea MOHW press release on telemedicine statistics), supporting remote health/wellness service adoption
03
Korea’s inbound tourism receipts were USD 30.3 billion in 2023 (World Bank WDI), supporting wellness travel economics
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the User Adoption picture of Korea’s wellness industry, uptake is scaling fast as 2.9 million health functional food consumers were recorded in 2021, telemedicine reached 1.6 million users in 2022, and wellness travel backed by inbound tourism receipts climbed to USD 30.3 billion in 2023.
06 · Category
Behavior & Risk6 stats
01
24.3% of adults in Korea were physically inactive (insufficient activity) (2022), indicating a sizable market for exercise interventions and digital coaching
02
23.4% of adults in Korea reported insufficient fruit intake (2022), supporting nutrition-based wellness programs and dietary supplementation
03
62.7% of adults in Korea reported insufficient vegetable intake (2022), reinforcing demand for produce-enhanced diets, meal planning, and nutrition products
04
7.8% of adults in Korea reported raised blood pressure (2022), underscoring prevention-focused wellness and lifestyle management services
05
25.2% of adults in Korea reported high blood glucose (2019), supporting wellness services tied to metabolic health
06
36.1% of adults in Korea had raised total cholesterol (2019), indicating ongoing cardiovascular risk and demand for lipid-management wellness
Interpretation
Behavior & Risk Interpretation
Behavior and risk in Korea are driven by widespread lifestyle gaps, with major shares of adults reporting insufficient vegetable intake at 62.7% and physical inactivity at 24.3%, alongside substantial metabolic and cardiovascular risk such as high blood glucose at 25.2% and raised total cholesterol at 36.1%.
report visual · Key figures
Korea’s wellness demand signals: aging, behavior, and market scale
Demographic aging and health risk factors (physical inactivity and obesity) point to sustained demand, while wellness-adjacent markets (health promotion/fitness and fitness wearables) indicate strong adoption and spending capacity.
34%
34.0% of Korea’s population is projected to be aged 65+ by 2060 (UN projection), indicating continued long-run demand fo
38.8%
38.8% of adults in Korea were obese in 2019 (OECD, age-standardized)
24.3%
24.3% of adults in Korea were physically inactive (insufficient activity) (2022), indicating a sizable market for exerci
10.3
Korea’s health promotion/fitness market expanded to KRW 10.3 trillion in 2023 (estimated by market research), indicating
22.5
Korea’s wearable device shipments were 22.5 million units in 2023 (IDC wearable shipments tracker for the country, inclu
source-verifiedpopulation.un.org · oecd.org · apps.who.int · giikorea.co.kr · idc.com2060
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Korea Wellness Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-wellness-industry-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Korea Wellness Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-wellness-industry-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Korea Wellness Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-wellness-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)