What country drinks the least coffee?
Have you ever wondered which country drinks the least coffee in the world? While coffee is deeply embedded in daily life across much of Europe and the Americas, there are large parts of the planet where coffee is still a minor player.
Understanding where coffee is consumed the least helps explain how culture, climate, religion, and history shape our drinking habits — and why coffee quality often matters more than quantity.
Which countries drink the least coffee?
Globally, the countries with the lowest coffee consumption tend to share one thing: a strong alternative beverage tradition, usually tea.
China
Despite being the world’s most populous country, China drinks very little coffee per capita. Tea has been part of Chinese culture for thousands of years, and coffee is still seen as a modern, urban habit rather than a daily staple. Consumption is rising in cities like Shanghai or Beijing, but nationwide it remains low.
India
In India, tea dominates everyday life. Chai is deeply rooted in social and cultural traditions, while coffee is mainly popular in the southern states. Even today, India’s overall coffee consumption per person remains among the lowest worldwide.
Japan
Although specialty cafés and canned coffee are everywhere, Japan still consumes relatively little coffee per capita compared to Western countries. Traditional tea culture — especially green tea and matcha — remains central to daily life.
United Kingdom
This one surprises many people. In the United Kingdom, tea still leads, despite the rapid growth of specialty coffee shops. Coffee consumption has increased sharply, but per capita levels are still lower than in Southern and Nordic Europe.
Countries that drink less coffee — but drink it well
Some countries appear low on consumption charts not because they dislike coffee, but because they drink less, better coffee.
France
In France, coffee is typically consumed in small servings — espresso or café allongé — rather than large mugs. The focus is on ritual and quality, not volume.
Italy
Similarly, Italy is famous for espresso culture, yet Italians usually drink just one or two coffees a day. Quick, intense, and high-quality — not constant refills.
This distinction matters: low consumption does not mean low appreciation.
Where is coffee really the least consumed?
On a per-capita basis, the lowest coffee consumption is found in:
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Large tea-drinking nations in Asia
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Parts of Africa where coffee is grown but not traditionally consumed
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Regions where coffee remains expensive or culturally marginal
Ironically, some coffee-producing countries consume very little of their own harvest.
Quantity vs quality: why this matters
This is where things get interesting.
Countries with lower consumption often show growing interest in specialty and high-quality coffee, rather than mass consumption. Instead of multiple cups a day, people look for:
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Better origin
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Better roasting
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Better brewing
If you’re curious about how to recognize truly good coffee, this guide explains it in detail:
👉 How can you tell if coffee is high-quality?
The rise of specialty coffee beyond cafés
Low-consumption countries are often where specialty coffee grows fastest. People drink less, but they care more.
That’s exactly the philosophy behind our approach to coffee growing in southern Spain — focusing on terroir, traceability, and experience rather than volume.
If you want to explore this shift beyond traditional coffee shops, this article connects the dots:
👉 Specialty coffee near La Herradura: beyond the coffee shop
Coffee consumption isn’t just about numbers. It’s about culture, habits, and intention.
Some countries drink a lot of coffee to stay awake.
Others drink a little coffee to enjoy it properly.
And that difference — between quantity and quality — is where the future of coffee is heading.
If you ever find yourself in southern Spain, near Málaga, you can experience this philosophy firsthand at our coffee farm in La Herradura, where coffee is grown, harvested, and tasted in a completely different way.
