A customer looks at lunch boxes at a convenince store in Seoul, in this photo taken in February. Newsis

Older Koreans are eating more fast, cheap convenience store food items for lunch than younger age groups amid the current high cost of living crisis, data showed, Wednesday.

Data released by BC Card, a leading payment processing company here, showed that among those aged 70 or older, 22.9 percent of their total purchases of goods at convenience stores, were made between peak lunch time — from 11 a.m. to 1:59 p.m. — in May.

The rate was 19 percent for those in their 60s, 14.3 percent for those in their 50s, 13.6 percent for those in their 40s, 13.2 percent for those in their 30s, and 13.1 percent for those in their 20s.

BC Card assessed that the reliance on convenience store food for lunch has grown at a faster pace since January for those aged 60 or older compared to those in their 30s, 40s or 50s.

The pace of the increase in the January-May period was 3 percentage points for those aged 70 and older and 2.2 percentage points for those aged 60 and older.

The rate remains unchanged for those in their 50s.

The rate increased by 0.01 percentage points for those in their 40s and by 0.03 percentage points for those in their 30s.

According to BC Card, the spending by customers at restaurants decreased by up to 11.2 percent so far this year as of May, but spending at convenience stores dropped by 6.8 percent, showing a far lower decrease in sales.

"The buying patterns of older adults come as many of them are retired and can't afford to eat lunch at restaurants like salaried workers do, especially as high inflation persists," the company noted.