80% of U.S. K-Pop Fans Are Women, 48% Are Under 24 — Highly Active in Album Purchases

A recent report titled “U.S. K-Pop Fanbases” released by the American music magazine Billboard provides detailed insights into the tendencies and characteristics of U.S. K-Pop fans. The report was based on a survey conducted on July 30 among approximately 1,400 Americans aged 14 and older. U.S. K-Pop fanbases are overwhelmingly female-dominated. Eighty percent of respondents were women, with 48% specifically falling within the age group of 24 or younger. Only 12% of K-Pop fans in the U.S. were aged 55 or above. This gender imbalance is attributed to boy groups such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids leading the K-Pop market, attracting a large number of female fans in their 1020 age range. K-Pop fans exhibit very active album purchasing behavior. Among those who participated in the survey, 63% said they had purchased K-Pop CDs within the past year. Notably, the proportion of high-spending fans is significant. Forty-one percent of all respondents indicated they spent $100 or more (approximately 140,000 won) on album purchases over the past year. Another 10% spent between $101 and $150 (approximately 140,000 to 210,000 won), 6% spent between $151 and $200 (approximately 210,000 to 280,000 won), and 20% spent $250 or more. There was also a strong tendency toward album collecting. Fifty-two percent of respondents admitted to buying multiple copies of the same K-Pop album due to differences in design or included items. This shows that K-Pop fans have a strong desire not only to listen to music but also to own and collect physical albums. Sixty-eight percent of fans also reported purchasing K-Pop-related products over the past year. K-Pop’s impact on the mental and emotional lives of U.S. fans is even deeper. When asked what they gain from K-Pop fanbases, 49% answered that it “inspires them to become better people,” while 41% said they regard their idols as “excellent role models.” This indicates that K-Pop functions beyond mere music consumption as a kind of guide for life. K-Pop also serves as an emotional support source on a broader scale. Eighty-five percent of respondents said K-Pop “helps reduce stress,” and 82% said it “gives them hope for the future.” Additionally, 62% reported feeling a sense of belonging through fan communities. These figures demonstrate that K-Pop acts as an emotional support network for fans worldwide. However, fans’ enthusiasm is limited to album purchases and online activities. They tend to be relatively less active when it comes to attending live performances. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they had never attended a K-Pop concert in the past year, and only 16% had attended three or more times. The most common reason for not attending concerts was “the venue being too far away” (64%), followed by “tickets being too expensive” (56%). Significant differences in spending patterns were observed across age groups. The core fan group aged 13 to 24 is active online but relatively less so when it comes to paying for concerts, fan events, or official merchandise. In contrast, the 45 to 54 age group showed the highest rates in purchasing K-Pop box sets (55%), buying official merchandise (82%), and attending concerts (47), confirming their role as active consumers. Glenn Peoples, Billboard’s senior analyst, stated, “What distinguishes K-Pop from other music genres are its fans.” He added that K-Pop fans are not just people who listen to music regularly but rather “devoted, active, passionate, and organized fans.” He predicted that as American public interest in K-Pop grows along with the rising popularity of groups trained through K-Pop systems, localization strategies for the K-Pop industry in the U.S. will become even stronger.