How many instant noodle packs did you eat during 2020's social distancing periods?
VnExpress reports that, according to data from the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), Vietnam became the world's third-largest instant noodles market in 2020.
In 2019, Vietnam was the fifth-largest consumer.
Last year alone. 7.03 billion (that's billion with a b) servings were slurped down in Vietnam, a 29% increase over the previous year and a national record. WINA estimates that Vietnam accounts for roughly 6% of global instant noodles consumption, with the average person here finishing off 55.6 servings through 2020.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, China was the world's largest consumer, at 46.35 billion servings, while Indonesia ranked second with 12.64 billion servings. India and Japan followed Vietnam to round out the top five markets.
Vietnam's increased appetite for instant noodles is attributed to periods of lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when restaurants were closed and other regulations kept people home.
Global instant noodle consumption jumped by almost 10% last year, with 116.6 billion servings eaten worldwide.
