UK Coffee Statistics 2024

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 statistics 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 Indulgers’.

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!

How often is coffee drunk at work?

The short answer: very often! Bleary-eyed British professionals are increasingly powered by caffeine.

A study by the British Coffee Association, carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), found that 25% of the UK’s coffee consumption takes place at work or whilst studying.

Amongst those legions of coffee-quaffing workers, 41% of professionals drink at least three cups of coffee a day.

Does drinking coffee at work improve productivity?

Logically, you would expect all those cups of coffee to push productivity through the roof – and you’d be right!

Not only does moderate coffee consumption boost cognitive function but the time out that comes with a coffee break provides time to recharge, reset and return to tasks with renewed vigour.

A PubMed article, titled ‘Caffeine at Work’, observed that people who consume higher levels of caffeine experience greater alertness over the working day and a smaller decline in reaction time.

According to Nespresso, 67% of UK employees feel more productive after a coffee break. The same report found that 53% of UK employees had a creative idea during a coffee break and 36% of working Britons had solved a difficult problem while sipping their favourite brew.

Does drinking coffee at work improve your mood?

Drinking coffee at work has been found to have a positive impact on your mood and wellbeing.

Mental health charity Mind discovered that 75% of workers reported better mental health and wellbeing at work after taking regular coffee breaks.

In companies with more than 20 employees 83% of Brits report that taking coffee breaks with colleagues relieves stress. This is most evident in the finance, insurance, HR and creative industries.

Does drinking coffee at work improve relationships?

Arguably, the Bean to Cup coffee machine is the new water cooler for informal interactions.

‘Let’s grab a coffee’ has become a catch-all invite for building relationships. The upshot is that 81% of employees say they form stronger bonds with colleagues over coffee breaks and 76% of people agree they’re a great way to collaborate.

Taking regular coffee breaks with the boss can also work wonders for career prospects, with 72% of people reporting better working relationships with their manager as a result.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these stats about UK coffee in 2024. Below are the sources of these Coffee stats.

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