Flipping trend of S. Koreans' binge drinking - men down, women up

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]While bench shrinking among Korean men has declined over the past decade, the rate among women has steadily increased.

[00:00:07]This trend is particularly evident among women in their 30s whose binge drinking rate surged by nearly 10 percentage points. According to a recent report by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the monthly binge drinking rate among men fell from 61.8% in 2015 to 56.7% in 2024.

[00:00:28]In contrast, the rate among women increased from 31.2% to 33.4% over the same period. Monthly binge drinking is defined as consuming at least once a month over the past year seven or more shots of soju or five cans of beer for men and five or more shots of soju or three cans of beer for women in a single sitting. Despite the decline, the overall rate remains significantly higher among men. As of 2024, monthly bench shrinking among men exceeded 50% in every age group except those aged 60 and older. Men in their 40s recorded the highest rate overall at 65.3%, the highest among all age and gender groups. Notably, men in their 30s shared the sharpest decline with the rate dropping by more than 10 percentage points. Now, by contrast, women in their 30s experienced the steepest increase, rising from 33.8% 8% in 2015 to 42.1% in 2024.

[00:01:30]Among women, those in their 20s had the highest binge drinking rate, reaching 44% in 2024.

[00:01:37]Experts attribute this trend to increased social participation among young women, and the shifting culture toward diverse beverages like wine and highballs. The KDCA stated, "Over the past decade, binge drinking among male drinkers has declined, while it has increased among female drinkers, narrowing the gender gap." Nevertheless, it added, "The monthly bench shrinking rate among men remains at a high level.