Coffee is one of the country’s most important products. Besides having many health benefits, coffee is also the most traded food product and most popular beverage around the world.
It seems like every country knows how to make coffee these days, but some are better than others at doing just that.
This article will go through a list of countries who can produce some of the best coffee in the world and why they produce so much of it.
Top 10 Coffee Producing Countries in The World
| Country | Metric Tons/Yr |
| 1. Brazil | 3,558,000 |
| 2. Vietnam | 1,830,000 |
| 3. Colombia | 858,000 |
| 4. Indonesia | 642,000 |
| 5. Ethiopia | 441,000 |
| 6. Honduras | 390,000 |
| 7. India | 329,100 |
| 8. Mexico | 273,000 |
| 9. Peru | 270,000 |
| 10. Uganda | 255,000 |
Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia remain the planet’s top coffee producers even as other countries have seen their positions fall. These are the world’s top 10 coffee-producing countries, according to the 2021 rankings:
1. Brazil
Brazil is, by far, the largest producer of coffee in the world. It produces nearly 3.6 million metric tons of coffee each year. That is roughly a third of all the coffee produced in the entire world.
Brazil started cultivating coffee trees back in 1727 at a monastery in Sao Paulo. Coffee production thrived due to this early start, and plantations were set up all over that country and others nearby.
Today a lot of well-known coffee brands source their coffee from Brazil, including Intelligentsia, Blue Bottle, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Marisa. Brazil’s coffee export industry is worth over $15 billion a year, which makes it the largest in the world by far.
2. Vietnam
These days Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world. Their plantations produce about 1.8 million metric tons of coffee each year.
Despite only being the second largest producer of coffee in the world, Vietnam is one of the leading exporters in terms of dollar value. In 2015, they exported $3.8 billion worth of coffee.
Vietnam has been producing coffee since its first major plantations were set up in 1823 near Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). It wasn’t until 1975 that this country began exporting coffee globally though. One popular coffee beverage is Vietnamese coffee, which is a coffee ideally made from Robusta beans mixed with condensed milk.
3. Colombia
Colombia is one of the most well-known producers of coffee in the world. They produce about 1 million metric tons of coffee each year.
Colombia is responsible for producing some of the finest Arabica beans in the world. They are often used to make high-end specialty blends, and so are quite profitable for growers.
Many people outside of Colombia will know this country’s coffee because it is brewed by a very popular brand, Starbucks. Learn more about Colombian Coffee!
4. Indonesia
With about 700,000 metric tons of coffee produced every year, Indonesia is the 4th largest producer of coffee in the world.
They are also one of the leading exporters globally. They export millions of bags of coffee each year, and enjoy a lot of popularity.
One popular Indonesian roast is called “Kopi Luwak“, which includes partially digested coffee cherries from civets, giving it a unique flavor with high caffeine content. Learn more about Indonesian coffee beans.
5. Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the fifth largest producer of coffee in the world. This East African country has about 400,000 metric tons of coffee produced per year.
Ethiopia has been producing coffee for a very long time, since the 16th century. Coffee production skyrocketed during the last half of the 19th century when they successfully domesticated the Arabica plant. Learn more.
6. Honduras
Honduras is the sixth largest producer of coffee in the world. It produces about 390,000 metric tons of coffee per year.
Coffee was introduced to this country by Spanish settlers in the late 1700s. They had a difficult time growing coffee successfully though, until they found some seeds that they weren’t able to get rid off during harvesting.
From then on, cultivation of high-quality Arabica beans became more widespread across all types of farms in this country. Learn more.
7. India
India is the 7th largest coffee producer in the world. This country has about 360,000 metric tons of coffee produced every year. India has a long history of cultivating Arabica beans, but their efforts have only recently been trying to expand their coffee industry and reach new heights.
India may be most famous for its teas (Chai), but it has an ever growing coffee industry, especially in the last 20 years. It’s very likely that you’ll be seeing more coffee exported from India in the near future.
8. Uganda
Uganda produces roughly 300,000 metric tons of coffee a year. This East African country is becoming increasingly competitive in the global coffee market. With so many coffee plantations there, it comes as no surprise that one of Uganda’s most popular exports is coffee beans.
In the late 1800s, Arabica coffee was introduced to this country by missionaries from Europe. It was extremely successful and became a stable source of income for many people. Learn more about Uganda Coffee.
9. Mexico
Currently, Mexico produces roughly 250,000 metric tons of coffee per year. It’s the 9th largest producer in the world. Coffee was first introduced to this country in the early 1700s by Europeans. Coffee production is dominated by small-scale farmers who rely heavily on this income source.
Although there are currently many large companies growing and exporting coffee to other countries, it is still a very important industry for this country. Additionally, their coffee is a staple for those within the country of Mexico, as they currently consume more Mexican coffee within the country than they export it.
10. Peru
Peru is the 10th largest producer of coffee in the world. They produce roughly 220,000 metric tons of coffee per year.
Coffee production in Peru has been on the rise over the last several years, increasing by about a third within this decade. However, it still falls short of countries like Brazil and Colombia in terms of revenue generated from coffee exports.
Peru has been producing coffee since its first plantations became operational in 1847. During this time, they were able to export coffee to other countries all around the world.
Final Thoughts
Although coffee is produced all around the world, you’ll find that most of it comes from just a few countries. Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the largest producers in the world. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be suspicious of coffee from other countries though.
In fact, a lot of expert roasters will tell you that coffee from other countries can still taste delicious depending on how it was roasted.
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