Consumption of rice increased notably last year, particularly on the popularity of ready-made meals in South Korea, data from Statistics Korea showed.

From Nov. 1, 2016 to Oct. 31, 2017, 114,341 metric tons of rice was consumed, up 14.1 percent on-year. Rice tallied here included that used in various food products such as kimbap, prepackaged meals and instant rice sold at convenience stores and large retailers.

Rice used at restaurants, however, was tallied separately.

Meanwhile, rice consumption at home dropped to a historical low.

People consumed an average 169.3 grams of rice per day last year. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)