In 2023, Italy produced a quarter of all coffee in the European Union

Brussels – Italy confirms its excellence on International Coffee Day: according to data released by Eurostat, Italy is the major coffee producer in the European Union.

In 2023, Italy produced over 550,000 tons, or 25 percent of the European total, followed by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Finland. Together, these countries produced 59 percent of the EU’s overall output of roasted coffee.

The EU Statistics Office records that the 27 member countries produced over 2.3 million tons of coffee, roasted or decaffeinated, including coffee substitutes. Since 2013, the increase has been 15 percent, equivalent to about 5 kilograms per inhabitant in 2023. The value of European coffee production is nearly 13 billion euros.

Coffee imports from non-EU countries were worth 10.6 billion in 2023. The quantity has remained stable over the last decade, but the value increased by 3 billion. Most coffee imported to the old continent comes from Brazil, with 34 percent, and Vietnam, 24 percent. Uganda, Honduras, India, Colombia, and Indonesia follow.

Italy is the second largest importer, after Germany, which accounts for 33 percent of the total from non-EU countries, followed by Belgium, Spain, and France.

Coffee price inflation has been on an uptrend since October 2021, causing substantial cost increases. Italy saw a net improvement between October 2022 and 2023, with values falling from 8.4 percent to 4.1. Since June 2024, the Italian trend has been rising, so there is again a risk that prices could grow so much as to make the Italians’ most beloved habit a luxury good.