Earning nearly 250 million USD for Vietnam, Russia has shown a remarkable affection for Vietnamese coffee — with each person consuming about 60 liters of coffee per year.
According to data from Stir — a publication specializing in tea and coffee analysis — coffee consumption in Russia has risen significantly over the past 30 years. Analysts report that since 1991, per-capita coffee consumption in Russia has surged dramatically.
Mr. Andrey Dalnov, Head of the Industrial Examination Center of Rosselkhozbank, noted:
“Currently, the average Russian drinks around 300 cups of coffee per year, equivalent to 60 liters per person — or 8.76 billion liters nationwide.”
Russians have a particular fondness for Vietnamese coffee. In 2021, Russia consumed 303,000 tons of coffee, the majority of which was imported — totaling 243,639 tons worth 787.58 million USD. Among suppliers, Vietnam was Russia’s largest coffee exporter, delivering 81,818 tons valued at over 173 million USD.
By 2022, Russian imports of Vietnamese coffee reached 103,531 tons, worth 249.4 million USD — an increase of 44% over 2021.
In Russia, coffee has become an essential part of daily life for young people. They enjoy cappuccino, latte, espresso, and black coffee without sugar. While “coffee-to-go” culture dominates in Western countries, Russians still prefer to sit and enjoy their drinks at their favorite coffee shops.
Coffee businesses in Russia have adapted to this habit by designing spacious cafés with ample seating and diverse menus, offering snacks, meals, and beverages. Moscow and Saint Petersburg host the largest number of coffee shops, featuring both global chains such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee, as well as numerous local café brands.
However, according to coffee trading company Volcafe, the world is facing a third consecutive year of coffee shortages — something unprecedented — due to lower-than-expected harvests in Brazil, the world’s leading coffee producer. This situation presents a significant opportunity for Vietnamese coffee to expand strongly in 2023.
Global coffee supply is projected to fall short by 3.8 million bags in the coming season, driven by a record shortage of robusta beans amid rising demand for instant and espresso coffee. The company reported that demand in the current crop year already exceeds supply by 4.5 million bags.
Volcafe stated in its report:
“This means an unprecedented deficit will occur for the third year in a row. We expect the tightest period to begin in August 2023 and continue through 2024, with global inventories — especially of robusta coffee — dropping to record-low levels.”