The number of U.S. residents downing a daily cup of joe reached its highest level in six years
By NACS Online
The percentage of Americans drinking coffee on a daily basis jumped to 62% last year, up from 57% in 2016, according to the NCA’s 2017 National Coffee Drinking Trends (NCDT) consumption tracking report, released last week.
The increase brings past-day overall coffee consumption back above 2014 levels, reversing slow declines since 2013. Among the drivers behind the increase was soaring consumer enthusiasm for gourmet coffee varieties across most demographics. Another key driver was a robust increase in past-day coffee drinking among younger consumers.
“More of us are drinking coffee, and younger consumers appear to be leading the charge,” said Bill Murray, NCA president/CEO, in a press release. “A steadily growing taste for gourmet varieties is also driving a wider trend toward specialty beverages.”
While the frequency of daily consumption continued to grow for all age groups, the most robust increase occurred among those between the ages of 13 and 18, whose daily consumption rose to 37% in 2017, from 31% in 2016, capping a 14-point increase over 2014’s 23%. The 40 to 59-year-old group showed an 11-point uptick over last year – moving from 53% in 2016 to 64% in 2017 – but the increase essentially restored levels seen in 2014. Those 60-plus moved to 68% in 2017 from 64% last year, while the 25 to 39 year olds increased from 60% to 63%, and the 18 to 24-year-old cohort edged up to 50% from 2016’s 48%.
Clearly, consumer enthusiasm for gourmet varieties also drove the year’s overall consumption increase. The 2017 results show the largest one-year increase in past-day espresso-based beverages in NCDT history – a jump from 18% to 24%.
In another NCDT record, more than half of all cups of coffee consumed in the past-day were gourmet – 59% in 2017 versus 46% in 2012. “Non-Espresso-Based Beverages,” a new category for 2017 consisting of non-espresso, gourmet coffee-based beverages, made a strong debut in past-week consumption: Frozen Blended (14%), Cold Brew (11%), Nitrogen-infused (3%).
