Who are the champions of coffee consumption in the world?

When asked about where in the world the most coffee is drunk and where there is the highest per capita consumption, many will be tempted to give the safe answer: Italy. But among the many all-Italian records related to coffee, from the Neapolitan tradition to the invention of the moka, this is not one of them. In fact, we rank only 12th in this particular ranking.

Who then sits on the podium for coffee consumption in the world?

Finland, Denmark and Austria: the "caffeinomaniacs" are here

Well yes, better than the Italians, who consume an average of 5.9 kg of coffee per year, do the Swiss, Austrians and Danes, but above all the Finns, who lead the ranking. In fact, the supremacy is all Nordic where, between conifers and long winters they consume as much as 12 kg each, on average, in a year. On the second step of the podium are the Norwegians with 9.9 kg and on the third the Icelanders with 9 kg.

The first non-European country in this ranking is Canada where coffee consumption reaches 6.5 kg per year, while in the United States the average is 4.2 kg.

Why does Italy occupy 12th place?

It comes natural to ask, at this point, what is the reason why Nordic countries surpass Mediterranean countries and Italy in particular. Average coffee consumption in the Belpaese reaches a low value only in appearance. In fact, it can be explained if we go to observe the different consumption habits and tastes, which change significantly.

In Italy, in fact, espresso is undoubtedly the dominant one, so much so that it has been calculated that about 175,000 cups of coffee are served every day in bars alone. Usually, however, espresso is drunk in the morning and, in the case, once after lunch, thus effectively limiting consumption to two cups of espresso a day.

Elsewhere, such as in Scandinavian countries, long coffee is preferred, which in addition to being a larger quantity in itself is also consumed several times during a single day. That is why, therefore, the record of coffee drinkers is far from Italy. In this regard, there is often another question to try to answer: in fact, if it is true that Finns are the ones who drink the most coffee in the world, how much do they pay for it?

In good company: animals and coffee

Not everyone knows that there are also some unusual coffee drinkers in the world, to say the least. In fact, legend has it that the discovery of coffee was the work of an Ethiopian shepherd, Kaldi, who observed his goats enthusiastically chewing and munching on these berries. Intrigued, the shepherd apparently collected the coffee beans and brewed them, effectively discovering coffee, but also suggesting that animals can be just as fond of it as we are, albeit in different ways.

Equally greedy for coffee beans, in fact, are elephants. In Thailand, in fact, the beans are fed to elephants, who excrete them through their feces after digestion. This particular "treatment" functions as a kind of natural roasting and the beans are, then, harvested, cleaned and put on the market under the name "Ivory Black." Price per kg: about 1,000.

Even better known is the passion for the berries of the palm civet. In Indonesia, ever since the 19th century when it was forbidden to drink coffee, plantation workers devised a creative way around the law: harvesting the partially digested and defecated coffee beans from the very civets. The tradition was passed down, and today Kopi Luwak is one of the most valuable, rare and expensive coffees in the world.

How much does coffee cost in the world?

The most expensive destinations are precisely those in Northern Europe. In fact, Oslo, the capital of Norway, is the city where the price of a cup of espresso coffee is the most expensive: an average of€4.50. A price that makes Italians squint, but it should not surprise us: in fact, cost of living in Scandinavian capitals is generally higher than in countries bordering the Mediterranean.

This also explains the 4€, again on average, that an espresso can cost us in Copenhagen, the Danish capital and among the ten most expensive cities in the world. The podium of most expensive coffees is completed by Geneva, Zurich, Basel and, in general, all Swiss cities except for the Canton of Ticino: the price is around€3.60.

There are also some European cities where we can find a price that can compete with the 1€ that, on average, we pay for an espresso in Italy. We are talking about Lisbon where, at the counter, we spend only 70 cents, and Athens where the average price does not exceed 1.50€.

In the most popular capitals, the cost of coffee rises again, predictably. In London, for example, we pay an average of 1.74€ for our espresso, in Paris 1.80€. Average cost rising to 2.34€ for Berlin and Amsterdam.

Overseas we are spoiled for choice. The cheapest option is, this time surprisingly, New York where we can get to spend about 1.80€. An average price, 2.50€, is what we can expect in Istanbul, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires. While among the most expensive stands out Tokyo where the cup of coffee costs 3€ and Sydney, slightly more expensive at 3.10€.

But is it true that coffee is more expensive and more consumed abroad than in Italy? On average the price of an espresso is 90 cents, but even in the Belpease we can find some interesting differences. Let's see which ones.

From North to South: how does the price of coffee change in Italy?

A survey conducted by Federconsumatori tried to answer this very question, traveling Italy from North to South to see how the price of a simple cup of coffee changes. In many cities one euro can be enough: think of Genoa, but also Milan and Rome.

Cheaper, however, are the capitals of the southern regions. The cheapest coffee, in fact, is drunk in Bari where, on average, 75 cents is enough. This is followed by Naples with 86 cents and Palermo with 92.

Quite a different tune is that of the pennies one needs for an espresso in Bologna where one pays an average of €1.10 as in much of Emilia Romagna, from Ferrara to Reggio Emilia. The surprise, if you will, is precisely in the fact that under the Two Towers people drink a more expensive coffee, on average, than tourist cities such as Venice (1.02€) and Florence (1.01€). Perhaps the secret is all in knowing the calli and alleys well enough to enjoy a great coffee where visitors do not arrive. How much does coffee cost in your city?