How Many Cups of Coffee Do Chinese Drink Per Year?

Ever wondered how much coffee people in China actually drink? If you're trying to gauge the country’s coffee culture—whether as a roaster, importer, or curious coffee fan—you’ve likely asked: just how many cups of coffee does the average person in China consume each year? The numbers tell a clear story of slow but steady growth over the past decade.

Quick answer: In 2012, the average person in China drank 6.9 cups of coffee per year. That’s up from just 2.6 cups in 2004. The data, tracked yearly from 2004 to 2012, shows a gradual rise in annual per capita coffee consumption.

China’s Annual Per Capita Coffee Consumption (2004–2012)

The table below details the recorded per capita coffee consumption in China from 2004 through 2012, based on available import and population data. These figures represent an estimate of how many standard cups the average person consumed in a given year.

What the Numbers Mean

These figures are estimates derived from official coffee import data (measured in 60kg bags) and China’s year-end population. While not measuring direct consumption (which would require retail or household data), the numbers offer the clearest publicly available proxy for national coffee intake per person.

A “cup” here is not a standardized brewing volume, but an extrapolated figure based on total imported green coffee converted to probable brewed servings. The steady rise in both imports and estimated per capita consumption reflects growing exposure to coffee in China, even if absolute numbers remain low by global standards.

Imports and Population Growth Context

From 2004 to 2012, China’s coffee imports (in 60kg bags) increased from 397,000 to 1,088,000—a more than 2.7x rise. Over the same period, the national population grew from approximately 1.3 billion to 1.35 billion. The increase in imported coffee far outpaced population growth, suggesting rising per-person availability and, likely, consumption.

The rise in imported coffee bags corresponds closely with the increase in estimated per capita cups. For example:

• In 2004, 397,000 bags and 2.6 cups/year
• In 2012, 1,088,000 bags and 6.9 cups/year

This alignment supports the use of imports as a reasonable indicator for broader consumption trends, especially in the absence of granular retail data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cups of coffee does the average Chinese person drink per year?

According to data from 2004 to 2012, the average person in China drank between 2.6 cups (in 2004) and 6.9 cups (in 2012) of coffee per year. The figure rose steadily each year in this period.

What years does this coffee consumption data cover?

The available data covers the years 2004 through 2012. Each year includes an estimated per capita coffee consumption figure, along with recorded coffee imports and China’s year-end population.

How is per capita coffee consumption calculated in this data?

Per capita consumption is estimated using total annual coffee imports (measured in 60kg bags) divided by the year-end population, then converted into an approximate number of cups. It is not based on direct retail or survey data.

Why did coffee consumption in China increase from 2004 to 2012?

The increase is attributed to a combination of rising coffee imports and population growth, with imports growing much faster. This suggests greater availability and likely higher individual consumption over time, even if actual usage varied widely across regions and demographics.

Is coffee consumption in China still this low?

The 2012 figure of 6.9 cups per person is still relatively low compared to global averages (e.g., the US or Scandinavian countries). More recent data may show higher figures, but this dataset specifically covers 2004 to 2012.

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