Twenty-eight percent of those 18 and older who drank coffee in the last day in the U.S. had java prepared away from home, according to the Spring 2026 National Coffee Data Trends report released Tuesday.
The report, conducted by Toronto-based Dig Insights and commissioned by the National Coffee Association, also noted that 36% of this same group drank coffee outside the home. This includes people who might have prepared a coffee at home but drank it outside the home. The most popular places were the workplace, 14%, in transit, 13%, and an eating place, 10%.
Nearly 195 million American adults drink coffee each week, making coffee America’s most popular beverage, said the New York-based association, which added that American coffee drinkers consume an average of 2.8 cups of coffee daily.
- Read CSP’s 20 Great Coffee Programs for 2025.
Coffee’s standing as America’s favorite beverage is seen in the data, where past-day consumption among those 18 and older is 66%. Bottled water is second at 64%, followed by tea at 47%, soda at 46% and juice at 26%.
Past-day and past-week coffee drinking remain at the same levels seen since 2022: 66% and 73% of American adults, respectively.
While the aforementioned 28% of Americans have coffee prepared away from home, preparing coffee at home—and consuming it in the morning—remain by far the most popular choices, with 82% of past-day coffee drinkers having coffee prepared at home.
In other data:
- 86% of past-day coffee drinkers 18 and older had coffee for breakfast
- 38% had coffee at another time in the morning
- 18% had it for lunch
- 22% had it in the afternoon
- 8% had it for dinner
- 11% had it in the evening
The time of day and place of preparation were largely unchanged since 2022.
Popularity level same since 2022
Traditional coffee popularity is unchanged since 2022, with 62% of American adults drinking it in the past week. Meanwhile, specialty coffee popularity has increased by 9.4% over the same time period, with 53% of American adults consuming it in the past week in 2022 compared with 58% now.
The increase in specialty coffee popularity is driven by espresso-based beverages, with lattes and espresso showing the largest increases in past-week consumption since 2022.
Past-week espresso-based beverage consumption overall increased from 40% in 2022 to 45% now. Latte consumption increased from 17% to 21%; espresso consumption increased from 16% to 20%.
“Coffee has long been a touchstone in Americans’ daily lives and a powerhouse in our economy, adapting to fit different tastes, trends, budgets, and routines over time,” NCA President and CEO Bill Murray said. “We expect that to continue for many decades to come.”
The National Coffee Data Trends report, conducted by Dig Insights and commissioned by the National Coffee Association beginning in 1950, is the longest-running study on U.S. coffee consumption, beverage preferences and consumer behavior. The National Coffee Data Trends report is now conducted twice annually. Data for the spring 2026 report was collected Jan. 5-20, and respondents are a nationally representative sample of 1,850 Americans ages 18 and over. All respondents drank a beverage other than tap water in the past day; drinking coffee is not a requirement to participate in the research.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.