M'sia Ranks 13th In Instant Noodle Consumption, Sees 5% Increase Despite Global Downtrend
Malaysia experienced a sharp increase in demand for instant noodles, despite a 0.82% decline in global demand in 2023.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 24 May 2024, 12:42 PM
Malaysia has ranked 13th in the world for the highest instant noodle consumption, with 1.64 billion servings consumed
China, including Hong Kong, claimed the top spot with 42.2 billion servings, according to data from the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) updated last Monday, 13 May.
The data shows that the global consumption of instant noodles dropped by 0.82% to 120 billion servings in 2023.
The figures are based on estimated shipments in 56 economies gathered by WINA.
Founded in 1997, WINA's primary role is to accumulate and share information about technical issues related to the quality development of instant noodles. It focuses on seven pillars: taste, safety, convenience, preservability, affordability, nutritiousness, and eco-sustainability.
Headquartered in Cupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda, Japan, WINA's governors include brands such as Nissin, Nestlé, Braisun, Jin Mai Lang, and Indofood, among others.
Below is the list of the top 15 countries with the highest instant noodle consumption by servings:
2. Indonesia: 14.54 billion
3. India: 8.68 billion
4. Vietnam: 8.13 billion
5. Japan: 5.84 billion
6. USA: 5.1 billion
7. Philippines: 4.39 billion
8. South Korea: 4.04 billion
9. Thailand: 3.95 billion
10. Nigeria: 2.98 billion
11. Brazil: 2.55 billion
12. Russia: 2.2 billion
13. Malaysia: 1.64 billion
14. Nepal: 1.57 billion
15. Mexico: 1.55 billion
The fluctuation in instant noodle consumption can be seen as a reflection of consumers opting for a more affordable food choice amid an inflationary economy
According to a Nikkei Asia report published in September last year, food prices in many countries soared in 2022, prompting more consumers to turn to instant noodles.
In 2020, the global pandemic drove the demand up by 9.5% to 116 billion servings. The figures grew at a slower pace in 2021 and 2022 before declining by 0.82% last year.
As for Malaysia, instant noodle consumption increased by 7.64% to 1.57 billion servings in the first year of the pandemic before easing to a 0.63% gain in 2021.
In 2022, the figure dropped by 1.94% before seeing a sharp 5.49% increase from 1.55 billion to 1.64 billion in 2023, despite the global demand falling by 0.82%.
