How Much Coffee Does a Person Drink in a Year? (Stats)

My wife and I drink two to three cups of coffee every day and have done for decades, so is this a normal amount compared to most people?

The average US coffee drinker consumes around three cups per day or 1,100 cups every year. That equates to an amazing 86,000 cups in a lifetime. In the US, over 400 million cups of coffee are drunk every day, that’s 146 billion cups of coffee every year.

Let’s dive down into the topic of coffee consumption in more detail, and discover some of the key stats behind US and worldwide coffee drinking habits…

How Much Coffee Does the Average US Person Drink in a Year?

We’re said to be a nation that’s fueled by coffee; however, much coffee does an average American actually drink each year?

According to the 2020 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report, the typical US coffee drinker consumes around 3 cups per day, which would make getting on for 1,100 brews over a year.

Of course, these stats are for the average coffee drinker, not across the whole population. For scale, 62% of US citizens drink coffee every day. Question: how does the other 38% function? We certainly wouldn’t!

How Much Coffee Does the Average US Person Drink in a Lifetime?

Based on that three cups of joe a day, the average US coffee drinker enjoys an astonishing 86,000 cups in their lifetime.

Just out of interest, we also consume around 6,000 slices of pizza between cradle and grave, and about 35,000 cookies.

What Age Group Drinks the Most Coffee in the US?

According to the 2020 NCDT report, coffee drinking does increase with age. However, younger people (under 40) are a fast-growing group, with young coffee drinkers up 40% between 2015 and 2020.

74% of people over 55 drink coffee daily, which is considerably higher than the national average (around 62%).

How Much Does the Average US Person Spend on Coffee Per Month?

Apparently, we’re happy to spend $92 dollars a month on coffee, or at least, if not happy, we’re willing.

Of course, this is an average figure, meaning that many of us are much more modest with our coffee bills (and some are clearly really going for it, coffee-wise).

Who Drinks More Coffee Males or Females in the US?

More American women than men drink coffee every day (66% compared with 62%).

The stats of actual amounts vary; however it seems that men who do drink coffee consume slightly more than women.

How Much Coffee is Consumed Daily in the USA? (In Total)

This is quite a figure: we get through 400 million cups of coffee every day here in the USA.

This works out as 146 billion cups of coffee every year. It’s easy to see why coffee production, sales, and hospitality have become such huge industries in the States.

Which US States Drink the Most Coffee?

Which US state is powered by caffeine? The answer is Vermont, with Arizona a close second. Michigan drinks the least. 

Despite its reputation, New York is down towards the bottom of the coffee drinking table, just five states above modest Michigan.

How Many Pounds of Coffee Does a Starbucks Use a Day?

Coffee giant Starbucks gets through 153,242 pounds of beans every single day. The company orders 56 million pounds of beans for its coffee shops and retail business each year.

(And then we fell down a bit of a statistics rabbit hole, and learned that we also buy 205,000 bags of Oreos each day. We’ll stop there, before we bombard you with facts about deodorant, denim jeans, and diapers.)

How Much Coffee is Consumed Worldwide Per Day? (In Total)

According to the British Coffee Association, there are around two billion cups of coffee consumed globally each day.

In the US, we contribute 400,000 million cups towards that massive total, giving us a pretty hefty share of the global coffee consumption market.

Which Country Consumes the Most Coffee?

Finland is the biggest coffee-drinking country in the world, per capita. The average Finnish coffee drinker chugs their way through four cups a day and purchases around 26 pounds of joe every year.

In fact, coffee is so much part of the culture in Finland, that employers are legally obliged to give their employees two coffee breaks every working day.

Norway, Iceland, and Denmark come second, third, and fourth respectively, and we’ll look at the reasons behind the Nordic coffee culture in just a moment.

Which Country Consumes the Least Coffee?

Nepal, India, and Pakistan consume the least amount of coffee in the world. In these countries, the average annual coffee purchase is about 0.22 pounds.

India’s national drink is chai, a strong and spicy tea. In Pakistan, order a lassi or a juice rather than a cup of joe.

Why Do Nordic Countries Drink So Much Coffee?

Considering that the Nordic countries are so far from the Equator and the world’s coffee-producing regions, it seems surprising that these nations are so devoted to the beautiful bean.

However, there are several historic reasons why coffee is the drink of choice in Scandinavia.

Coffee arrived in the ports of Denmark in the 17th century. As in many other European countries, it began life as a luxury item, but eventually came down in price and became a popular drink for ordinary citizens, too.

In fact, it became so popular that it was briefly banned in Sweden (it was a real threat to the country’s tea trade).

Why did it become so popular? Well a warming beverage is always a good thing in a cold climate, but it’s thought that the main reason for the Scandi coffee culture was because it was a lot cheaper than alcohol, which was taxed extremely highly.

Alcohol is still expensive in some Nordic countries, and beer was actually forbidden in Iceland until 1987.

Unsurprisingly, coffee has become an important social drink in Scandinavia. This was encouraged by the Church.

Local churches would often provide coffee and cake for their parishioners, known as Kirkekaffe, which literally means “church coffee”. With the might of the Almighty behind it, coffee was bound to be seen as a socially appropriate brew.

Today, the average Finnish coffee drinker consumes 26 pounds of joe a year. In  Norway, they get through 22 pounds every year, and in Iceland, 20. Denmark is joint fourth with The Netherlands at 19 pounds, closely followed by Sweden with 18.

Of course even in Scandinavia, they love the classic blend of coffee and spirits to create a warming cocktail. Here’s how you make a Kaffe Karlsson, an indulgent drink with coffee, cream, and spirits.