Coffee is today’s most consumed beverage across different cultures and continents and part of their daily routines.
This year, the International Coffee Day is being observed under the theme “Embracing collaboration for collective action—more than ever.”
The International Coffee Organisation states that this year’s theme aims to foster a true sense of belonging.
According to the National Coffee Association, about 66% of U.S. adults drink coffee every day. Globally, estimates suggest over 2.25 billion cups are consumed each day.
It is estimated that an average American consumer spends about $325 annually on coffee, and in one survey among younger U.S. respondents, 50.8% of men and 32.8% of women reported coffee consumption. The same source claims 83% of coffee drinkers have coffee during breakfast.
Meanwhile, a nutrition journal study of U.S. adults found that most coffee drinkers consume less than three 8-ounce cups per day (83% within that range), and that men drink significantly more on average than women.
Here’s a laydown of the top 10 countries with the highest coffee consumption.
1) Finland
Finland tops the list with 26.45 lbs per capita per person annually.
If you ever came across a Finland citizen, you would know that the national average of 26.45 lbs (12 kg) per capita is slightly on the low end for most in Finland. If you were to take children out of the calculation, the national average would surge even higher.
The most popular coffees are very light roasts, much lighter than the rest of the world in Finland.
2) Norway
Coffee was first introduced in Norway in the early 18th century. Kaffee is typically consumed black at breakfast and with dessert after a drink.
It’s a common Norwegian style that they use to invite guests over specifically for coffee, serving them with cakes and pastries.
With a population of 5.4 million, approximately 80.5% of Norwegians consume coffee per day, with many drinking four to five times a day.
3) Iceland
Iceland, with a population of 0.37 million, consumes coffee with an average of 19.84 lbs per capita annually.
In the capital of Reykjavik, you won’t find coffee giants like Starbucks or Second Cup.
Despite this, there’s no shortage of smaller, independent coffee shops spread out across the city.
4) Denmark
If the Nordic nations reign supreme in coffee, this nation is perfectly the Danish Prince of the hot brown drink. Danish people sip about 1.46 cups of coffee per day.
5) Sweden
In 1616, Dutch were the first Europeans to obtain live coffee trees, brought back from Mocha, Yemen.
The beans from these coffee bushes were then used to begin Dutch coffee cultivation.
On average, the Dutch drink 2.4 cups of coffee per day.
At Swedish homes, coffee is served for “Koffietijd” (Coffee Time), usually with cookies and cakes.
The fun fact is that coffee culture is somewhat divided between the North and South and along religious lines.
The North was historically populated with Protestants who prefer to serve coffee with only one cookie, seen as a sign of modesty. While in the South, normally inhabited by Roman Catholics, Koffietijd traditionally includes “vlaai,” a sizeable sweet pie.
The data sources for the above-mentioned stats are taken from ‘WorldAtlas’ for per capita consumption data and, for population data, ‘World Population Review.’
These estimates are based on the latest available data for 2024, and the results for total coffee consumption are calculated by multiplying average consumption per person by total population.
Top five lesser-known fun facts about Coffee
Coffee was discovered in the 1500s by goat herders, who noticed the animals eating fruits would get hyper, dance around, and stay awake. Therefore, it is referred to as fruit.
So coffee beans aren’t beans—they are the pit of a fruit, the coffee cherry.
The word “coffee” comes from the Arabic word “qahwah,” which referred to a type of wine.
The word has its evolution by time; it became “Khave,” used by Ottoman Turks, and then evolved into “Koffie,” from the Dutch.
The most expensive coffee in the world is Kopi Luwak, a product of Indonesia.