For the first time since 2015, the National Coffee Association has commissioned original research from the experts at Technomic to measure all the ways that coffee contributes to the U.S. economy.
We already know that coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the U.S. (even more than tap water), but it turns out that coffee touches communities across the country in amazing ways, from generating tax dollars to creating jobs, from the supermarket to the dairy farm.
Highlights include:
- The total economic impact of the coffee industry in the United States in 2022 was $343.2 billion, a 52.4% increase from 2015.
- Consumers spent nearly $110 billion on coffee in 2022.
- The coffee industry is responsible for more than 2.2 million U.S. jobs and generates more than $100 billion in wages.
For more statistics, access the Economic Impact Highlights Infographic.
About These Numbers
These numbers reflect all economic activity in the U.S. coffee economy, the majority of which is created in the food service sector, where coffee is prepared for consumers – a reflection of the investment in equipment, labor, and materials needed for service.
Elements of the coffee economy include:
- Importers
- Transportation, including shipping and trucking
- Roasters and packaging
- Whiteners, including milk and creamers
- Sweeteners
- Flavorings
- Disposable products
- Maintenance
- Equipment sold, both to consumers and for commercial coffee service
- Indirect services such as accounting, marketing, and promotion
- Wages and taxes
- Induced spending by those working in the coffee economy
This report was commissioned by NCA and was produced by Technomic, Inc., a leading food and beverage industry consulting organization. Technomic's experts drew upon a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, including interviews with industry experts, U.S. government statistics, published corporate reports, their own internal databases on the beverage industry and related sectors, and IMPLAN modeling software.
The report reflects data for the economic impact of the coffee sector in calendar year 2022, a year for which 72% of adult Americans reported that they drank coffee based upon the NCA National Coffee Data Trends study.
NCA Coffee Market Research
The NCA Economic Impact Report is part of the NCA Market Research Series, which includes the annual National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) Report.