Coffee Consumption

March 5th, 2007 12:36 PM PDT
Survey: Coffee Surpasses Soft Drinks In Daily Market Penetration Among U.S. Adults, Reversing A 16-Year Trend
Daily market penetration of coffee among U.S. adults surpassed that of soft drinks, restoring coffee's pre-1990 dominance, according to The NCA's National Coffee Drinking Trends 2007 market research study. The study found 57 percent of American adults drink coffee daily, while 51 percent consume soft drinks daily. "Coffee is experiencing a new Renaissance," said Robert Nelson, president and CEO of the association, in a prepared statement. "Coffee is gaining a higher profile among American consumers as they enjoy an expanding menu of options amid an exploding café culture."

In other data, 2007 overall consumption by U.S. adults tied last year's record of 82 percent, which had risen from 80 percent in 2005 and 79 percent in 2004. Weekly consumption for 2007 came in just under the 2006 record high, 67 percent, versus 68 percent, but remained ahead of 2005's 64 percent. All of the increase in 2007 daily consumption occurred in regular coffee, for which daily consumption increased to 48 percent from 47 percent last year. Daily consumption of gourmet coffee beverages softened to 14 percent from 2006's 16 percent, with subsets espresso-based beverages off by one percentage point from last year to 6 percent, and gourmet coffee down to 8 percent from 10 percent in 2006.

While these numbers suggest trending toward increased traditional coffee consumptions, how Americans define gourmet, given the wider variety of coffee options available in the marketplace, may impact the responses behind the numbers.

The major increase in daily consumption among 18 to 24-year-olds for 2007 caps three years of steady increases. Daily consumption among those 40- to 59 and 60-plus also increased to record levels in 2007 at 61 percent and 74 percent, respectively. Consumption among 25- 39-year-olds eased to 44 percent from 2006's 47 percent, but remained ahead of prior years back to 2002.

The study has been conducted by the association since 1930. The study is the only one of its kind to track American coffee consumption over a five-decade period. The survey is based on a nationwide random telephone survey conducted annually.