Per Capita Coffee Consumption

According to the National Coffee Association, 42.0% of households owned a single-cup brewer in 2019, an increase from 10.0% in 2012. Consumers who can brew coffee at home increase the rate of coffee consumption as consumers cannot only brew coffee at their home but can brew coffee whenever they want to, which has historically helped grow rates of coffee consumption as a result. At the same time, due to these established trends, suppliers of coffee beans and machines have become competitive in the types of beans they supply along with the types of machines they produce to help gauge market demand. Variations of coffee beans, for example, help stem competition while capturing demand from consumers who are pickier about the coffee they consume to fit their taste preferences.

Per capita coffee consumption does not fluctuate significantly from year to year. However, consumers also tend to buy more coffee when the economy grows and spend less on coffee when the economy shrinks. This is especially true for out-of-home coffee purchases. As a result of the global financial crisis, per capita coffee consumption declined 1.0% in 2008 and 4.2% in 2009, reflecting lower consumer confidence and a decline in per capita disposable income. Over the ten years to 2019, per capita coffee consumption had grown, driven by a mix of factors, including economic growth and technological progress. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, consumption of coffee declined by 2.4% as consumers avoided public places because of social distancing measures, which decreased demand for out-of-home coffee shops during the period. As the economy and more consumers recover from the pressures experienced following the pandemic in 2020, per capita coffee consumption has effectively rebounded. However, it should be noted that coffee prices have remained elevated in the period stemming from climate and economic inflationary pressures, which has played a role against robust growth within 2021 as per capita consumption fell in the year. Consumption of the good did go up in 2022 now as factors like the economy and the labor market began to recover following these uncertain periods, raising consumption of goods that complimented those having to go to work or go more out for various reasons that weren’t possible before. But as these routines began to normalize, consumption fell in 2023 and 2024 as more consumers became more familiar with their routines and began to save in the middle of high inflation that left the prices to go up for various drinks and foods like coffee. As the economy begins to recover again in 2025, consumption of coffee is set to expand in the year.