Korean skincare and beauty products have gained a lot of popularity over the past decade, mainly due to their innovative formulations, strict focus on skincare, and nominal prices. But that is never enough to capture the eyes of a mass audience. Korean beauty brands were put on the spot light mainly by their use of creative marketing through social media influencers and K-Pop stars like “Irene” from the famous group, Red Velvet.
Her famous Korean beautiful glass skin is exactly the message all these k-beauty brands want to give to the world.
Demographics
Although, as famous as Korean cosmetics maybe, so many regions out there are yet to embrace it or access it, either due to lack of limited availability or lack of awareness. But there are other regions that just cant get enough of Korean beauty products.
Let’s take a look at some such regions and then we can find an estimated total number of users. ( I will take the liberty to exclude South Korea for obvious reasons 😉 )
Asia-Pacific
China
China is the largest importer of Korean skincare and beauty products with an estimated 25 – 26 million active users by the end of 2023. This number is growing, specially among younger consumers. A country with a 1.4 billion population with a significant percentage of people under the age of 30, just imagine the amount of consumption.
Japan
Despite the fact that Japanese skincare is also very famous, they are still pretty crazy about Korean beauty products and K-beauty has an estimated of 6 – 8 million fans in Japan. Particularly, women aged 25-30 years of age.
Other Asia-Pacific Countries
Countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are also seeing an explosive demand of Korean cosmetics. With a combined estimate of 10-15 million active beauty conscious users.
The Wild (over K-beauty) West & Europe
United States
Korean beauty products have seen a wild surge in demand with over 10-13 million active users in the United States alone in 2023. We at Q-depot have personally witnessed this increased demand and USA is now one of our biggest markets. This remarkable growth is mainly driven by beauty influencers, online retailers and speciality stores.
Canada
Let’s say, Canadians are still far behind other countries but 2-3 million active users amongst younger age groups is still a big deal. “Go Go Canada”.
UK & Europe
The Brits and Europeans love to look beautiful just as much as anybody and for that very reason, an estimated of 5-7 million of them are using Korean skincare items in their daily routines.
Latin America, Middle East & Africa
Latin America
Countries like Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are also seeing a lot of interest in Korean beauty products, where beauty and skincare is highly valued. According to some estimates, these countries have a combined total of 3-5 million user that are beginning to adopt Korean beauty products. So if you are living in one of these countries, it’s not late to start your own K beauty business.
Middle East
The Middle East is an interesting place, due to its strong religious and cultural emphasis on self grooming as well as its strong consumer preference for high-end luxury products, the cutting-edge beauty solutions got a chance to stand out in the Saudi Arabian and specially UAE’s beauty scene. An estimated of 1-2 million active users are believed to be using K-beauty there with the numbers growing exponentially by the day.
Africa
While still in its early days of penetration, Algeria, Nigeria, and South Africa have seen a growing demand for Korean cosmetics. Estimates show that about a million people are actively using K-beauty products in Africa as of now.
Total Number of Korean Beauty Product Users in the World
So, according to estimates, Korean beauty has about a whopping 63 million active user base on the lower side and about 80 million users on the upper side. By 2030, the global K-beauty market is expected to grow significantly, with projections suggesting that the active user base could reach over 110 million to 130 million worldwide. Keep in mind, I haven’t even added about 25+ million local Korean user of Korean cosmetics.
This growth will be driven by continued innovation in skincare products, expansion into new markets, increasing online accessibility, and the influence of social media and beauty influencers. Emerging regions like Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are also expected to contribute to this growth, as K-beauty trends continue to spread across the globe.
Disclaimer: There isn’t a definitive, publicly available statistic on the exact number of active K-beauty users worldwide. The beauty industry is vast, and tracking every individual’s usage would be a complex undertaking. These values are an estimate and not factual figures.