Coffee has been a cultural phenomenon almost since the moment it was discovered.
For example, the humble coffee date is an unfailing back-pocket staple because it covers all the bases; it’s inexpensive, gives you a chance to talk, and can provide the perfect backdrop for conversation.
But first date ideas aside, did you know coffee dates back as far as the 15th century? Yeah, really.
There’s probably a lot you don’t know about coffee, but we’re going to change that with this list of stunning coffee statistics. So brew a cup of your favorite jitter juice, and let’s learn about coffee!
Top Ten Featured Coffee Statistics in 2022:
- A survey of over 1100 young people shows men are much more likely to drink coffee than women.
- The USDA forecasts a record production of around 10.5 million tons of coffee in 2020/21.
- Finnish average coffee consumption per capita exceeds 26 lbs per year.
- Folgers is the most successful coffee brand in the US, with over a billion dollars in sales in 2020.
- The coffee industry produced $67.66 billion in 2020 in the United States alone.
- According to coffee industry statistics, Brazil is the world’s leading exporter of coffee, with over $4.4 billion in exports in 2018.
- A massive study of over 500,000 people concluded that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from any cause.
- Drinking coffee could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7% per day.
- The French novelist Honoré de Balzac reportedly drank upwards of 50 cups of coffee a day while writing.
- 115 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is a lethal dose.
Coffee-Drinker Demographics
When you’re a kid, coffee drinkers are adults, and that’s just a fact of life. But have you ever wonder who are actually the most avid coffee drinkers? We have the answers you need.
1. 68% of people aged 60 years and older in the US regularly drink coffee.
(Statista)
Older Americans drink more coffee, as you might expect. But you may be surprised at just how much more.
While only 47% of people aged 18-24 drink coffee regularly, their senior counterparts are 21% more likely to do so. Moreover, seniors drink three times as much coffee as the youngest surveyed group.
2. A survey of over 1100 young people shows men are much more likely to drink coffee than women.
(ResearchGate)
Coffee consumption by age varies, but it also differs based on gender. Men around the age of 19 are significantly more likely to be coffee drinkers than women in the same age group. 50.8% of surveyed men reported drinking coffee, compared to only 32.8% of women.
When asked about the reasons for avoiding coffee, 64.8% of surveyed women said they don’t like the way it tastes.
3. Hispanic Americans are more likely to be coffee drinkers than any other group, with a 79.8% prevalence.
(NCBI)
The non-Hispanic white population isn’t far behind, with 75.7% of those surveyed being coffee drinkers.
On the other hand, non-Hispanic black people are the least likely to indulge, with only 61.4% of respondents saying they drink coffee.
4. Coffee consumption statistics by profession indicate that lab technicians are the heaviest coffee drinkers.
(Business Insider)
The American workforce runs on coffee, especially if you’re a scientist or lab tech. Marketing professionals are a close second, followed by educational administrators and writers/editors.
And it’s not just a little pick-me-up. 46% of workers in the US say they’re less productive when they haven’t had coffee.
Market Size and Coffee Industry Statistics
The coffee market is continually growing and doesn’t seem to face pandemic-related problems other industries are finding themselves in. Here are what every self-respecting coffee enthusiast should know about the coffee industry.
5. The USDA forecasts a record production of around 10.5 million tons of coffee in 2020/21.
(USDA)
Brazil is leading the global charge in coffee production, and its output is expected to rise by 6.8 million bags over the previous season.
Another contributing factor is the coffee’s biennial production cycle. Yields are naturally higher one year and lower the next, and 2021 will be an on-year for most coffee-producing regions.
6. Coffee statistics show that the United States imported $5.72 billion worth of coffee in 2018, more than any other country.
(Statista)
The US has been leading the world in coffee imports for a long time, even though they are not even in the top 10 for coffee consumption per capita.
Germany is the second-largest importer of coffee, with $3.29 billion worth of coffee import in 2018.
7. Finnish average coffee consumption per capita exceeds 26 lbs per year.
(WorldAtlas)
Finns love their coffee, as do most European nations. Finnish people drink more coffee than any other nationality, with an average of 26.45 lbs per capita per year.
Coffee rituals extend throughout the day in Finland, and most workers’ unions require coffee breaks from employers.
And coffee consumption statistics worldwide indicate Nordic countries are the biggest coffee drinkers.
8. Seattle is the best coffee city in the US, with a “coffee drinking score” of 73.68 out of 100.
(WalletHub)
WalletHub looked at the most populated cities in the US to find the best destination for coffee lovers. Unsurprisingly, Seattle’s deeply rooted coffee-drinking culture was enough for it to earn the first place.
The analysis considered various metrics, including the average price of coffee, the share of adult coffee drinkers, coffee shops per capita, and many more.
9. Folgers is the most successful coffee brand in the US, with over a billion dollars in sales in 2020.
(Statista)
According to coffee sales statistics, the best part of waking up is also the country’s best-selling coffee. It more than doubled Starbucks’ sales, its closest contender, in both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties.
Folgers Coffee is a part of J.M. Smucker Company, which you probably know for its jam and jelly products.
10. The coffee industry produced $67.66 billion in 2020 in the United States alone.
(Statista)
That means coffee, as a whole, generated about $204 per person. Not only is the coffee industry as strong as it ever was in the US, but it’s also expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 8.7% until 2025.
Roast coffee is overwhelmingly the biggest revenue generator, responsible for over $55 billion in 2020.
11. According to coffee industry statistics, Brazil is the world’s leading exporter of coffee, with over $4.4 billion in exports in 2018.
(Statista)
Brazil both grows and exports more coffee than any other country. Its closest rival in terms of the total value of coffee exports is Germany, with $2.58 billion.
Brazil produced 60 million 60-kg sacks of coffee in 2018. As a whole, Latin America produced 100 million, which is a testament to just how massive Brazil’s coffee industry is.
12. Coffee shop industry statistics show that this industry is responsible for over 750,000 jobs in the US.
(IBISWorld)
A job at a coffee shop is one of the most popular ways to enter the workforce. And it’s no surprise the industry employs so many people — there are over 80,700 coffee and snack shops in the country.
The total market size of all those coffee shops? More than $47 billion, and, unsurprisingly, most of the market share belongs to Starbucks.
Health Benefits of Coffee by the Numbers
This heavenly drink doesn’t just keep you awake. It has so many health benefits that you’ll never feel guilty again for drinking it so much. Sit back, take a sip and read how you help your health with every sip.
13. A massive study of over 500,000 people concluded that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from any cause.
(JAMA)
The bottom line is this: drink coffee if you want to live longer. At least, that’s what a study from UK Biobank suggests.
The research in question looked at over half a million participants aged 38–73 and how likely they were to die from any cause over ten years.
The results were pretty conclusive. Coffee drinking was inversely associated with all causes of mortality that the researchers studied.
Another Harvard coffee study published in the journal Circulation associated drinking coffee with a lower risk of early death.
14. 100 mg of caffeine increases the resting metabolic rate by 3-4%.
(NCBI) (NCBI) (Wiley)
If you’re trying to lose weight, increasing your caffeine intake may help. Numerous studies have linked caffeine to a boost in metabolic activity and exercise performance.
In one meta-analysis of 21 studies, administering caffeine to athletes reduced the rate of perceived exhaustion by 5.6% versus placebo. So an extra cup of joe could help you stay on the treadmill a little longer.
15. Drinking up to 3 cups of coffee per day can increase your risk of hypertension.
(Coffee and Health)
But here’s the exciting part — coffee consumption data show that drinking more coffee can get rid of that increased risk.
A meta-analysis of 172,567 participants found that drinking between one and three cups of coffee increased blood pressure. However, researchers found no increased risk when coffee drinkers surpassed the three-cup mark.
16. Drinking coffee could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7% per day.
(NCBI)
A meta-analysis from 18 studies totaling over 450,000 participants found a stunning relationship between coffee and type 2 diabetes. In the study, participants who drank more coffee were less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes.
And the more coffee participants consumed, the less likely it was that they would develop diabetes.
17. Coffee statistics show that women who drink coffee are 26% less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who don’t.
(Hopkins Medicine)
The cancer-protective benefits of coffee aren’t entirely understood, but data continues to grow about its effectiveness.
As an interesting side note — it doesn’t matter whether the coffee drinkers were drinking decaf or regular coffee as an interesting side note.
Fun Coffee Facts and Statistics to Perk You Up
We’re done with serious stats. Drinking coffee is a fun activity, after all, so here are some stats and facts to go with it!
18. The French novelist Honoré de Balzac reportedly drank upwards of 50 cups of coffee a day while writing.
(Open Culture)
Balzac’s fondness for coffee is well-known, to the point that he wrote an essay about it titled The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee. However, the 50-cup figure remains unsupported by a first-hand account.
19. 115 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is a lethal dose.
(HuffPost)
Too much of anything can kill you, and that’s certainly true for coffee. For the average American man, that’s about 160 cups of coffee.
But that’s not all.
You’d also have to drink it all at once. And since the average cups of coffee per day for a single person in the US is three, untimely java-induced death is probably not in the cards.
20. The most expensive coffee in the world will set you back about $50 per cup.
(Wall Street Insanity)
There’s no small amount of debate about what the world’s most expensive coffee is. But it’s generally accepted that Arabica beans from Thailand’s Black Ivory Coffee take the prize.
Black Ivory produces only about 350 lbs of coffee annually since it strongly depends on how hungry their elephants are.
Why elephants? Before the beans are processed, they’re fed to elephants and subsequently collected from their droppings. Hence the name Black Ivory.
21. Starbucks is the biggest coffee shop chain in the world, with over 30,000 locations, as coffee industry statistics show.
(Insider)
It should come as no surprise that Starbucks takes the crown of coffee shops. The US alone is home to over 15,000 stores.
22. Consumers in the US spent $6 billion on ancillary coffee goods in 2015, according to data from the National Coffee Association.
(NCA)
Coffee brewers, sweeteners, filters — they all add up. Coffee itself is the industry’s primary revenue generator, but don’t forget the massive amount of additional goods that go along with it.
23. Consumers in the UK paid $16.29 per pound of coffee in 2016, more than any other country.
(BBC)
According to the International Coffee Association’s coffee consumption statistics by country, Malta follows the UK for most expensive coffee. The Maltese paid $13.33 per pound.
On the other end of the spectrum is Poland, paying a mere $3.17 per pound of soluble coffee in the same period.
24. The global coffee beauty market was worth $590.1 million in 2018.
(Grand View Research)
Coffee beauty products are a growing trend worldwide. The benefits of caffeine and other components of coffee are driving sales to an estimated 5.1% CAGR through 2025.
FAQ
What percentage of people drink coffee?
63% of adults in the US drink coffee daily, according to the National Coffee Association.
But sip that particular cup slowly, because the actual number varies a lot from one source to the next. The NCA is generally reliable when it comes to coffee statistics, but that doesn’t mean it’s infallible.
A survey from the NCA in 2013 placed the number at 83%. So either we’re drinking a lot less coffee, or the real number is somewhere in between.
(NCA) (USA Today)
Which countries consume the most coffee?
These are the top five countries in descending order, based on pounds per capita of coffee consumed in a year:
- Finland (26.45)
- Norway (21.82)
- Iceland (19.84)
- Denmark (19.18)
- The Netherlands (18.52)
Are you noticing a pattern?
Scandinavian countries love coffee. Some historians surmise the coffee habit comes from years of excessive taxes on alcohol and tobacco that paved the way for a cheaper vice.
(WorldAtlas)
Is a coffee shop profitable?
Not really. Independent coffee shop owners can make a living in some areas, but most don’t turn a significant profit.
The average profit of a small coffee shop is about 2.5% of sales. That won’t put you on the path to be the next Rockefeller.
However, franchised coffee shops can be quite profitable. The average Starbucks profit margin runs in the neighborhood of 25%. So if you’re looking to make it as a coffee shop owner, It’s a good idea to find a reliable franchise partner.
(Entrepreneur) (Profitable Venture)
Why do most people drink coffee?
Here are the reasons most people give for enjoying a cup of mud, in descending order:
- They like the taste (69%)
- The extra energy (62%)
- To improve focus (34%)
- To manage stress (18%)
- For health reasons (10%)
The reasons given change significantly based on age group and other factors.
Some research also points to the calming effects of the smell of coffee. So there are surely more reasons why people drink coffee.
(Survey Monkey)
Which US state drinks the most coffee?
New York State consumes more coffee per capita than any other state. Moreover, it’s a strong contender for the state with the most coffee shops.
However, it’s not the most affordable state for nursing a coffee addiction. Statistics indicate that it’s also the state with some of the most expensive coffee, paying more for a cup of cappuccino than any other state.
It’s also fair to say that US coffee consumption by state is difficult to pin down with accuracy. There’s plenty of data on the city with the most prominent coffee-drinking culture (Seattle), but data on states, in general, is less definitive.
(Real Good Coffee)
Conclusion
From frozen beverages to beauty products — coffee’s popularity doesn’t seem to be waning in the slightest. If anything, it’s becoming even more ubiquitous than ever.
This selection of coffee statistics proves that even in a world as divided as ours, we can still fall back on coffee as the great unifier.
And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? Something we can honestly share with another person that genuinely represents who we are in the moment?
For many of us, that something is coffee.
Sources:
- BBC
- Business Insider
- Coffee and Health
- Entrepreneur
- Grand View Research
- Hopkins Medicine
- HuffPost
- IBISWorld
- Insider
- JAMA
- NCA
- NCA
- NCB
- NCBI
- NCBI
- NCBI
- Open Culture
- Profitable Venture
- Real Good Coffee
- ResearchGate
- Statista
- Statista
- Statista
- Statista
- Statista
- Survey Monkey
- USA Today
- USDA
- WalletHub
- Wall Street Insanity
- Wiley
- WorldAtlas
