Stats for the coffee bean-counters

September 29 is National Coffee Day, celebrated by Canadians and others around the globe who love that cup (or several!) of joe, or perhaps a latté or another coffee beverage.

And we definitely drink a lot of it! So much so, that in July 2023 alone, Canada imported 15.6 million kilograms of coffee (not roasted or decaffeinated). Over one-quarter of it (26.9%) came from Colombia, while Brazil (19.4%), Honduras (16.8%) and Guatemala (11.2%) were also major suppliers.

In the same month, Canada imported 5.0 million kilograms of roasted coffee (not decaffeinated) from a wide variety of countries and US states. In a typical month, there are relatively smaller imported amounts of decaffeinated coffee in both non-roasted and roasted categories, along with coffee husks and skins, and coffee substitutes.

Yearly import highs for both categories were observed in 2019 (205.6 million kilograms) and 2014 (77.8 million kilograms); we started tracking the current data series in 1988.

Owing partly to global inflation, import values reached all-time highs in 2022 for both non-roasted ($1.4 billion) and roasted ($1.0 billion) coffee.

Price increases brewing for months

Inflation certainly took a gulp, and not a sip, out of Canadians’ coffee budgets last year. In June 2022, prices for roasted or ground coffee purchased from stores were up 20.7% year over year, amid an overall inflation rate (+8.1%) not seen in almost 40 years.

More recently, roasted or ground coffee prices rose 9.2% in August 2023, compared with a year ago.

Grabbing your java from a shop or restaurant? Prices for food purchased from fast food and take-out restaurants rose 6.2% year over year in August 2023. Except for May, yearly price increases have either decelerated or held steady in every month since January (+9.0%).

Never been more plentiful

So your coffee might be pricey, but there’s lots available if you need more than a cup. Our annual food availability program measures the amount of food or beverages physically available in Canada for consumption on a per-capita basis.

We started tracking coffee in 1966, when there were 88.51 litres available per Canadian. By 2022, this was up to an all-time high of 111.76 litres!

Manufacturing sales down, locations up

Establishments in the coffee and tea manufacturing industry are primarily engaged in roasting coffee, and manufacturing coffee and tea extracts and concentrates (including instant and freeze dried), as well as substitutes.

In July 2023, the industry sold and shipped $210.4 million worth of goods, on a seasonally unadjusted basis, down from $236.0 million the previous month. In October 2022, sales reached $305.3 million, an all-time monthly high since we started tracking this industry in 1992.

As of June 2023, the industry had 591 business locations across Canada, up from 550 in December 2022.

How much coffee?

In 2015, about 6 in 10 Canadians aged 19 to 50 reported consuming coffee the day before we surveyed them. Meanwhile, about 3 in 4 of those aged 51 to 71 reported the same thing.

For the next round of the Canadian Community Health Survey, we’ll be asking Canadians about their beverage consumption, including sweetened coffee beverages. If you are chosen to participate, please do! For more information about survey participation, click here.