Coffee Remains America’s Most Popular Beverage, New Data Shows

Nearly 195 million U.S. adults drank coffee each week in the Spring 2026 National Coffee Data Trends report, keeping coffee firmly in place as America’s most popular beverage. The National Coffee Association said 66% of adults had coffee yesterday, a level that shows the category is not just holding steady, but still anchoring daily routines across the country.

The new numbers also showed where that habit lives. Among past-day coffee drinkers, 82% had coffee prepared at home, while 28% had it prepared away from home. Another 86% said coffee was the first thing they drank in the morning. That split matters for cafés and grocery shelves alike: the kitchen remains coffee’s biggest stage, but the out-of-home cup still has room to matter, especially when consumers are choosing it as part of a morning routine rather than a separate occasion.

What is changing fastest is the mix inside that massive habit. Traditional coffee consumption has stayed steady since 2022, but specialty coffee rose from 53% of adults in the past week in 2022 to 58% in the Spring 2026 report. Espresso-based beverages climbed from 40% to 45% over the same period, while latte drinking rose from 17% to 21% and espresso itself moved from 16% to 20%. The Specialty Coffee Association has pointed to younger drinkers as a key driver, with 64% of 25- to 39-year-olds drinking specialty coffee in the past week, and specialty drinkers were more likely than traditional coffee drinkers to have coffee prepared away from home.

The format shifts did not stop there. In the September 2025 data, cold, iced and frozen blended coffee accounted for 31% of all coffee consumed in the June survey, up from 23% in January 2025. Instant coffee rose from 6% in 2021 to 11%, and ready-to-drink coffee climbed from 9% to 19%. For roasters, chains and grocery brands, that is the market signal worth watching: coffee’s center of gravity is moving, but it is not shrinking.

The National Coffee Association said the Spring 2026 survey was collected January 5-20 from a nationally representative sample of 1,850 Americans ages 18 and over. It is the longest-running study of U.S. coffee consumption, beverage preferences and consumer behavior, commissioned by the association since 1950 and now published twice a year. The organization said coffee supports 2.2 million U.S. jobs and nearly $350 billion in annual economic impact, with its members representing companies responsible for 90% of U.S. coffee commerce. Coffee is still the default, but the competition inside the cup is getting sharper.