Why do people drink coffee? Does it have any healing properties? It does have some medicinal properties. But people drink it mostly because of its caffeine content.
Caffeine helps with enhancing cognitive functions, weight loss, and overall alertness. Most importantly, a cup of coffee in the morning is greatly helpful to reduce sleepiness and give an energy boost for the entire day.
In America, National Coffee Association data suggests that half the population above 18 drinks coffee every day. Moreover, 400 Billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every year. But the popularity is not uniform across the globe. Some nations can’t go a single day without a coffee; on the other hand, some countries, like Great Britain, prefer tea over coffee.
The World’s Top Coffee Consuming Countries
Before we see the top coffee consuming countries, let us see where it all started. Yemen was the first country that successfully brewed the first cup of coffee. Researchers and Archaeologists found evidence of coffee as a popular beverage in Yemen. Native people of Yemen were discovered to drink coffee from as early as the 15th century.
| Country | Coffee Consumed Per Year |
|---|---|
| Canada | 13.67 lbs (6.2 kg) |
| Switzerland | 17.42 lbs (7.9 kg) |
| Sweden | 18 lbs (8.2 kg) |
| Netherlands | 18.52 lbs (8.4 kg) |
| Denmark | 19.18 lbs (8.7 kg) |
| Iceland | 19.84 lbs (9 kg) |
| Norway | 21.82 lbs (9.9 kg) |
| Finland | 26.45 lbs (12 kgs) |
How Do People Around the World Prefer Their Coffee?
You will be surprised to learn that Canada is the only non-European nation that is a close competition for the world’s top coffee consuming countries.
Canadian people drink 13.67 lbs (6.2 kg) of coffee each year.
But in this blog, we are looking only at the top 7. And you guessed it right, all of them are European countries.
Switzerland
Switzerland comes last on the list of countries that drink the most coffee. Swiss people drink 17.42 lbs (7.9 kg) of coffee each year. Espresso is the most popular coffee drink there. Moreover, “caffè crema” is another popular coffee drink in Switzerland, which is very much similar to Americano.
As breakfast, Swiss people like a cup of coffee paired with one gipfeli (croissant). Swiss people drink, on average, 3 cups of coffee every day.
Sweden
Swedish people drink 18 lbs (8.2 kg) of coffee each year. The word Hangout has many interpretations in the western world. You can go to the bar and enjoy a beer, or stay home and watch movies on Netflix. Sweden introduces us to the concept of fika. Synonymous with breaks or parties, ‘fika’ always involves coffee.
Netherlands
People of the Netherlands drink 18.52 lbs (8.4 kg) of coffee each year. The Netherlands was one of the very first European nations that obtained coffee plants. It was brought back from Mocha, Yemen, by Pieter van den Broecke. Today, it is a top supplier of coffee beans to other European nations.
In coffee shops spread throughout the Netherlands, you will find coffee being served with a cookie or cake. However, contemporary coffee shops might offer a blend of coffee and marijuana.
Denmark
On average, people in Denmark drink 19.18 lbs (8.7 kg) of coffee each year. Just like any other Scandinavian nation, Danish people include coffee in all their meals. Also, on special occasions, they serve coffee with sandwiches, cakes, and cookies.
The most popular Coffee in Denmark is Espresso. But of course, they don’t call it that. They have a special name for it, and that is bica. A cup of that will cost you $7-$12.
Iceland
In the third position for countries that drink the most coffee, we have another European country. On average, Icelanders drink 19.84 lbs (9 kg) of coffee each year. The climate in Iceland is very unpredictable, but on most days, it is cold. In summer, the temperature stays anywhere between 68–77 °F (20-25 ° C). In winter, the temperature drops to −13 to −22 °F (−25 to −30 °C).
It is no surprise that a warm cup of coffee is exactly what you need on a cold day. The streets of Iceland are adorned with small coffee shops, often close to each other. Moreover, Iceland hosts a nationwide competition to pick the best coffee roaster and brewer.
Norway
On the second spot, we have Norway. People in Norway drink 21.82 lbs (9.9 kg) of coffee each year. Coffee was made famous in the late 18th century. In the early days, coffee was mostly consumed by the wealthy. As Denmark ruled Norway at that time, they had access to a lot of cheap coffee beans.
Norwegians like coffee in the morning, as well as at night, after their supper with dessert. 80% of its entire population drinks coffee. On average, they drink 4-5 cups of coffee each day.
Finland
Finland sits at the top of the list of coffee-consuming countries that drink the most coffee. If you know any Finns, you already know how crazy they are about coffee. The nation consumes 26.45 lbs (12 kgs) of coffee per capita. That is double the amount Canada (13.69 lbs) drinks, which comes 10th on the list.
If ICO (International Coffee Organization) took children out of the equation, the per capita average would be much higher. Each year, every person in Finland drinks 12 kilograms of coffee.
Let us do a simple calculation. No matter how you like your coffee, you can make 140 cups of coffee with 1kg of coffee. So if we have 12 kg, we can make 1,680 cups of coffee. One cup of Espresso will cost you $3-$4 in Finland. So each year, every Finland citizen spends $5,040-$6,720 years on coffee!
Conclusion
So there you go. In this blog, we looked at the top coffee-consuming countries. The next time you are visiting any of these nations, make sure to explore their coffee culture.
