Coffee is rapidly becoming the UK’s most popular drink, even overtaking tea. According to an ITV report, 63% of people in the UK drink coffee regularly, compared to just 59% of people who drink tea.
So here are some interesting coffee stats for the UK – at least we find them interesting.
How much coffee is drunk in the UK?
It is estimated that the UK drinks 95 million cups of coffee a day!
In 2024, 29.8 million kilograms of coffee is estimated to be purchased out-of-home, meaning coffee shops, cafes, workplaces, and coffee on the go. This will increase to 34.5 million kilograms by 2028.
The total amount of coffee purchased in 2024 (including home purchases) is 103.4 million kilograms. Over 54.3% of coffee purchased is roasted coffee. This shows that the UK values good quality roasted coffee over instant coffee. This increases when looking at outside-of-the-home purchases – 70.1% of purchases are roast coffee outside-of-the-home.
It is estimated that 1 in 5 coffee drinkers regularly drink decaf coffee.
Research by Scanomat shows that 1 in 3 Brits have switched to non-dairy milk, the second largest cow’s milk alternative market in Europe.
A recent Mintel report estimates that by 2028, the UK could spend more than £2.17 billion on coffee.
Who is drinking coffee in the UK?
Interestingly, there’s no significant difference in the demographics of UK coffee drinkers.
Regarding the gender split of coffee drinkers, 50.9% are male and 49.1% are female.
Coffee is seen as a people’s drink, being enjoyed evenly by all income ranges.
- Low-income drinkers = 33.7%
- Medium-income drinkers = 32.4%
- High-income drinkers = 33.9%
Whilst there are no major differences in coffee drinkers regarding their age, the older generations appear to enjoy coffee more than younger ones. 24.6% of coffee drinkers are 55-64-year-olds.
How healthy is coffee to drink?
Coffee has been seen as a healthy drink and is enjoyed by countless cultures across the world.
According to the infographic below from Allegra World Coffee Portal, 0.5 to 3 coffees per day will reduce the risk of mortality by 12%.
Food and drink treats, such as coffee, chocolate, and ice cream, are seen as comfort food and have high appeal to younger ‘Emotional Endulgers’.
64% of Gen X believe that there’s a link between food and drink and mental health. This means most young people are more likely to enjoy food and drinks that provide nutritional and functional value, such as coffee.
How does coffee impact the workplace?
Here’s something that Lavazza USA discovered in recent research: free quality coffee at work is the single most enticing soft workplace perk for staff. 46% of people said free beverages would encourage them to work from the office. This was voted higher than; free food, mandatory work breaks, gym memberships, social areas, and even bringing your pet to work!
The same report also identified that employees spend 16 minutes per visit to cafés during work hours. That adds up to an entire week of work hours lost every year!
We hope you’ve enjoyed these stats about UK coffee in 2024. Below are the sources of these Coffee stats.
Remember to follow us on social media as we release new and interesting coffee stats, facts and even a few myths.
[1] Statistia www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/hot-drinks/coffee/united-kingdom#sales-channels
[2] Scanomat www.scanomat.com/uk/articles/2024-coffee-trends/
[3] Mintel store.mintel.com/report/uk-coffee-market-report
[4] Mintel Insights www.mintel.com/insights/food-and-drink/supporting-mental-health-through-food-and-drinks/
[5] Allegra World Coffee Portal www.worldcoffeeportal.com/
[6] ITV www.itv.com/news/2023-08-21/coffee-beats-tea-as-britains-favourite-beverage-research-suggests
[7] Fast Company www.fastcompany.com/90898573/remote-work-office-top-perks-free-coffee-flavia
