United States (US)-based National Coffee Association (NCA) has released its Fall 2024 National Coffee Data Trends consumption report, which reveals major growth in the industry.
The analysis found that out-of-home coffee consumption has reached its highest level since January 2020. According to the research, 81 per cent of past-day coffee drinkers had coffee out-of-home, although out-of-home and at-home coffee consumption are not mutually exclusive as some coffee drinkers consume coffee in multiple locations.
The report estimates Americans consume around 413 million cups of coffee each day. Past-day coffee consumption among Americans has reached a two-decade high, with 63 per cent choosing coffee as their favourite beverage other than water; 84 per cent of these drinkers have their coffee with breakfast.
“There’s no better way to celebrate National Coffee Day than with the great news that coffee remains America’s favourite beverage other than bottled water,” says NCA President and CEO William Murray.
“America loves coffee, and it loves them back.”
The statistics also provide insight into US consumers’ conception of coffee, with 51 per cent of Americans believing coffee is good for their health. The majority of this group believe coffee improves mental focus, while others believe it improves their physical endurance. 48 per cent of these consumers have heard information advertising the health benefits of coffee in the past year.
Within national coffee consumption, specialty coffee has maintained its 13-year popularity streak, with 45 per cent of Americans consuming this type of coffee in the past day.
Among specialty coffee, past-day consumption grew the most for non-espresso-based beverages, up by 26 per cent since January 2024. Cold brew was the most popular of these beverages, with 21 per cent of Americans drinking it in the past week, up by more than 30 per cent since January.
Drip coffee remains the most popular preparation method for coffee in the US, with 36 per cent of past-day coffee drinkers using this method, followed by single-cup brewing, used by 26 per cent of the same group. Ready-to-drink coffee is in third place, used by 18 per cent of past-day drinkers, and continues to grow in popularity, with its past-day consumption more than doubling since 2023.