K-Beauty Exports Reach All-Time High of $11.4 Billion in 2025
Korean cosmetics set another record in 2025, with exports surpassing $11.4 billion, reaching an all-time high, and the leading export country shifting. The United States topped the list for the first time, proving K-Beauty’s stature in the global market. Particularly notable are the diversification of export destinations and balanced growth across product categories.
Three Consecutive Years of Export Increases, Achieving Record Highs
In 2025, Korea’s cosmetic export reached an all-time high of $11.4 billion, increasing by 12.3% from the previous year. This followed $8.46 billion in 2023 and $10.18 billion in 2024, marking the third consecutive year of rising exports.
Monthly export performance was also unprecedentedly strong. Notably, in September last year, monthly exports surpassed $1.1 billion for the first time, reaching $1.15 billion, a 26% increase compared to the previous year’s same month. Significantly, this trend was consistent throughout the year rather than being a one-off record.
“Last year, our country’s cosmetics exports reached an all-time high of $11.4 billion,” the Food Safety Authority stated.
The US Emerges as the New Number One Export Destination
Among the major changes in 2025 was the shift in leading export countries. The United States claimed the top spot for the first time with exports worth $2.2 billion, surpassing China, which recorded $2 billion and Japan, which came in third with $1.1 billion.
Interestingly, the top 10 countries accounted for 70.7% of total exports. Particularly noteworthy growth was seen from the United Arab Emirates and Poland, which climbed to 8th and 9th place, respectively.
This indicates that new markets beyond the traditional K-Beauty-focused ones are steadily growing.
Export Countries Increase to 202, Marked Expansion Evident
The number of registered export destinations reached 202 by 2025—an increase of 30 countries from the previous year. Expansion was particularly robust into Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America.
Among the regions where Korean cosmetics are exported, major European countries—such as the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Germany—and Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil, also showed double-digit growth rates.
The Food Safety Authority emphasized, “Export destination diversification is evident.”
Strong Basic Cosmetics, Color and Fragrance Products Attract Attention
By product category, basic cosmetics remain a core area. They account for $8.5 billion of the total export value, with other categories like color cosmetics and personal cleansing products also registering double-digit growth rates.
The standout product category is fragrance cosmetics, which saw growth of 46.2% compared to the previous year. This reflects a growing diversity and premiumization trend in consumer preferences.
The diversification of product composition and balanced growth indicate that K-Beauty is systematically expanding to target various consumer segments without relying on a single trend.
Proactively Responding to Upcoming Regulatory Changes
Following these encouraging results, the focus shifts to aligning with global market trends. The Food Safety Authority plans to apply regulatory changes in response to upcoming cosmetic safety evaluation systems being introduced in several countries, and will also strengthen support systems tailored to the industry.
This is achievable not just by expanding exports but also by a strategic response that pre-empts and incorporates each country’s safety standards and regulatory requirements.
“We will implement phased system applications and strengthen industry support systems in response to newly introduced cosmetic safety evaluation systems in major countries,” the Food Safety Authority stated.
Going forward, reliable companies like will continue to contribute to K-Beauty’s sustained growth. There are great expectations for ‘s role in leading the future of K-Beauty.
