Although once one of the most productive coffee-producing nations and among the few countries in the world that cultivate all four major types of coffee, the Philippines is now ranked outside the top 100 coffee-producing countries. Nevertheless, Filipinos still love coffee, and while the country has long been known for its love of instant coffee, the number of coffee shops is increasing, and appreciation for specialty and freshly brewed coffee is steadily rising.
Covid slowed down the nation’s passion and purchasing power for coffee in 2020, but consumption is expected not only to return to pre-pandemic levels but to soar by 2025. Below are 12 statistics related to coffee and coffee shops in the Philippines.
Coffee in the Philippines
1. Coffee was introduced to the Philippines in 1740.
(Nonmen)
Franciscan friars planted the first coffee trees in the Philippines in 1740. These plants, a coffee variety from Mexico, were cultivated in Lipa, Batangas. By the 1860s, coffee from the country was being widely exported to the U.S., and after the Suez Canal opened, to Europe as well. It was particularly popular in the United States because the cost of importing from the Philippines was lower than from other coffee-producing nations. By 1880, the Philippines had become the world’s 4th largest coffee exporter, but coffee leaf rust devastated the country’s crops, reducing production to one-sixth of previous levels by the early 20th century. Although production increased again in the mid-20th century, the Philippines has never fully regained its status as one of the world’s major producers.
2. The average Filipino consumed 3.05 kg of coffee in 2020.
(PhilStar)
2020 and 2021 saw significant changes in how people consumed coffee. Lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic, meant that many preferred drinking coffee at home rather than visiting coffee shops. This also affected the Philippines, where consumption dropped from 3.4 kg per capita in 2019 to 3.05 kg per capita in 2020.
3. 70% of coffee in Philippine coffee shops is imported.
(Business Mirror)
There are four commercially viable coffee varieties—Arabica, Excelsa, Liberica, and Robusta. The Philippines is one of the very few countries in the world that produce all four. Despite this, 70% of the beans used in Philippine coffee shops are actually imported. Today, the country imports most of its consumed coffee from Vietnam and Indonesia. However, with the rise of boutique and specialty coffee shops, more Filipinos are beginning to consume locally grown coffee.
4. 5,000 tons of coffee are imported into the Philippines each year.
(Business Mirror)
Declining coffee cultivation areas and rising consumption mean the country is more reliant on imports than ever, with 5,000 tons of the world’s second most-traded commodity (after oil) shipped into the nation annually.
5. The country produced more than 62,000 tons of coffee in 2019.
(PCG Vancouver)
Filipinos consume nearly as much coffee per year as Americans and produced 62,000 tons of green coffee beans, but they also consume 100,000 tons annually. While more and more people are frequenting coffee shops, the country’s preferred coffee beverage remains instant coffee or soluble coffee.