Coffee and coffee substitutes import value Australia 2015-2024

In 2024, Australia imported coffee and coffee substitutes to the value of almost 1.33 billion Australian dollars. Over the past decade, coffee imports to Australia increased significantly from around 813 million Australian dollars’ worth imported in 2015. 

Australia's coffee consumption

Over the years, coffee has become a nationwide obsession that is now part of Australia’s cultural identity. Brands such as Nestlé (Nescafé and Nespresso), Vittoria, and Lavazza, as well as Aldi's own-brand coffee, are some of the most popular brands for beans, instant powders, and capsules among Australia's coffee drinkers. In 2024, annual domestic coffee consumption exceeded two million sixty-kilogram bags. Cappuccinos, lattes, and flat whites are the favorite coffee drinks among consumers in Australia, with cappuccinos the number one coffee across most Australian states. The leading reasons consumers drink coffee are for the taste and to wake up. Nonetheless, some Australians report consuming coffee to relax and unwind.

Cafés: another casualty of inflation?

The pandemic has changed consumer behavior in many ways across Australia, with coffee consumption no exception to this rule. From Sunday brunch to afternoon coffee dates, buying coffee at cafés is popular among Australians. When choosing which coffee shop to visit, the quality of coffee, as well as affordability, are considered the most important coffee shop attributes among the country’s coffee drinkers. Nonetheless, cost of living pressures have led consumers to rethink their budgets, with several swapping takeout coffees for homemade brews created with their own machines. In the coming years, coffee shops could be hit hard as the pool of café regulars shrinks due to rising coffee drink prices, with a single cup of coffee forecast to reach around 12 Australian dollars by the end of 2025.