South Korea’s cosmetics exports reached a record high last year.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Friday, the country’s cosmetics exports rose 12-point-three percent from 2024 to eleven-point-four billion U.S. dollars last year.

Monthly exports set records throughout the year, with September marking the first time shipments topped one-point-one billion dollars, having soared 26 percent year-on-year to one-point-15 billion dollars.

Exports in the second half totaled five-point-nine billion dollars, up nine-point-three percent from a year earlier and the highest ever for a half-year period.

The largest market was the United States with two-point-two billion dollars, followed by China and Japan, with the top ten markets accounting for over 70 percent of total exports.

The number of export destinations expanded from 172 countries in 2024 to 202 last year, reflecting growing diversification toward Europe, the Middle East, and other regions beyond the U.S. and China.