New Report Suggests Young Adults Are Drinking Coffee More Than Ever

The United States leads the world in coffee consumption, and it's not even really close. As World Population Review observes, the 2022 data shows that American consumption of the caffeinated beverage significantly outpaces runner-up countries Germany, Japan, and France. As a matter of fact, in terms of the amount of coffee beans brewed nationwide, we actually consume more than three times as much coffee as any other country on Earth.

That coffee nugget, while interesting, pales in comparison to the deluge of coffee drinking data recently unveiled by the National Coffee Association (NCA). Every year dating back to 1950, the NCA has undertaken a survey that explores in detail the coffee drinking habits of average Americans. The data from these yearly surveys are included in a "National Coffee Data Trends" (NCDT) report, with the 2022 version just recently released.

There are several interesting coffee-related data points highlighted for 2022. For instance, per an NCA press release, the popularity of cold coffee is on the rise. Of all those polled who consumed coffee within 24 hours of responding to the survey, a whopping 30% opted for iced coffee, cold brew, or another chilled variety. The most newsworthy data point in the report, however, is certainly the one that quantifies the number of young adults who are now drinking coffee.

The NCA's polling data shows that more young American adults are drinking coffee. According to the NCA press release, 51% of those polled between the ages of 18 and 24 consumed coffee during the previous 24 hours. That percentage was slightly higher than the 2020 survey of the same demographic, which showed 50%.

"Continuing its decades-long reign as America's favorite beverage, coffee is also reaching new heights with young adults," noted NCA president and CEO William "Bill" Murray in the press release. "The NCDT's latest snapshot of consumer behaviors and attitudes reaffirms coffee's popularity is resilient to even the toughest challenges, as coffee drinkers continue to brew through challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and tough economic times."

Speaking of tough times, the poll's data also showed that nearly 60% of American java consumers have become more frugal due to the current economic climate. The poll asked respondents whether their financial situation deteriorated during the previous four months. Per the press release, nearly 60% more consumers confirmed that they were not in as good of a financial position as they were at the beginning of the year.