Sales of adult diapers in South Korea surpassed those of infant diapers in 2021, according to government data on Tuesday, a trend presumably prompted by the country’s aging population and declining birth rate.
South Korea produced and imported 112,000 tonnes of adult disposable diapers in 2021, an increase from 86,000 tonnes in the previous year, Chosun Ilbo reported, citing data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
The report states that South Korea’s adult diaper sales outpaced baby diaper sales by 1.6 times in 2021, with baby diaper production and import declining from 76,000 tonnes in 2019 to 69,000 tonnes in 2020.
The market trend suggests that some diaper makers have shifted demographics, as the share of the country’s population aged 65 and older is projected to increase to 46.4 percent by 2070….