Coffee drinking in China is growing rapidly.

Coffee drinking is becoming very popular in China, very quickly. I visited China three times during 2023 and 2024 and even in that short space of time, I could see a noticable uptick in coffee consumption. There are more coffee shops, more customers in the coffee shops, more selection and more interest in coffee generally. In the space of 18 months, many Chinese people seem to have progressed from wondering why you would want to drink coffee instead of tea, to accepting, if not outright embracing a growing trend towards coffee drinking, expecially among young and urban population centres. In Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Hong Kong, I noticed that, in a very short period of time hotels and restaurants had moved their coffee machines out of the corners of the dining room and repositioned them front and centre. Coffee is cool. Coffee is coming.

This has implications for the global coffee trade. The Chinese population is so vast that even small increases have a significant impact on the global market. Between 2022 and 2023, China consumed 5 million 60kg sacks of coffee. In that same period, although China’s coffee production is increasing rapidly, China produced only 1.8 million 60kg sacks.  Even a seemingly modest increase in per capita demand can send ripples through the entire industry.

China’s Coffee Consumption in Context

• Current Per Capita Consumption: China’s per capita coffee consumption remains relatively low compared to Western countries (e.g., Ireland, the US or many EU countries). Estimates vary, but generally, consumption is well under 1 kg of coffee per person per year—significantly below the 5–7 kg range in many European countries. Despite the low per capita figure, China’s population is around 1.4 billion. If even a small fraction of Chinese consumers pick up a coffee habit, it creates a massive demand wave.
• Suppose the average Chinese consumer’s coffee intake increases by just 10%. If the baseline consumption is around 1 kg per capita per year, this 10% jump translates to an additional 0.1 kg per person per year. Multiplied by 1.4 billion people, that modest increase equals 140 million kg (140,000 tonnes) of additional coffee demand on the global market—roughly equivalent to the entire annual coffee consumption of a mid-sized European country.
• An extra 140,000 metric tons of coffee demanded in a short period can tighten global supply, drive up prices, and spur increased production. This fluctuation can particularly affect specialty coffee availability and pricing, as farmers shift focus to meet growing demand.

China’s coffee market is undergoing a swift expansion, driven by a rising middle class and shifting tea / coffee preferences. Historically, tea dominated Chinese culture, but coffee is now gaining ground through international chains and local cafés tapping into an evolving urban lifestyle. The market, although still young compared to Western nations, holds vast potential as disposable incomes grow and consumer tastes diversify.

City dwellers increasingly regard coffee consumption as part of a modern, cosmopolitan identity. Major global coffee chains are moving into China and setting up alongside homegrown chains, which are proliferating in urban centers and using highly targeted marketing to attract new customers. This rising demand is stimulating investment across the coffee value chain, including domestic bean cultivation in provinces like Yunnan, advanced roasting facilities, and expanding logistics networks.

Online platforms and delivery apps play a significant role in making coffee more accessible, catering to busy professionals eager for convenience. Social media marketing and user reviews further contribute to coffee’s surging popularity by spreading awareness and encouraging product experimentation. Younger consumers, in particular, seek unique beverage experiences, fueling interest in specialty coffees, innovative brewing methods, and novel flavors.

The result is a thriving café culture, with more people embracing coffee as a daily ritual or social pastime. With China’s population and purchasing power, even a small percentage increase in per capita coffee consumption can have a substantial impact on global supply and pricing. As coffee culture matures and domestic production rises, China is positioned to become not just a significant consumer, but also an influential force shaping the world’s coffee industry.

By Pat McArdle