10 Top Coffee Producing Countries Around the World

Coffee is one of the most popular and beloved beverages in the world. No matter where you are geographically located, you can visit a specialty coffee shop and enjoy the selection from the top coffee producing countries around the world.

However, coffee trees can’t grow everywhere around the planet: the perfect climate and conditions to grow coffee trees and harvest coffee beans are found between the Cancer Tropic and the Capricorn Tropic. This area is called either the coffee belt or the bean belt.

More than 70 countries produce coffee, but here are the top coffee producing countries around the world:

1. Brazil (2,598,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Brazil has been the top coffee producing country for more than 150 years, so you should probably thank this South American country for most of the coffee cups you have been drinking.

In 2018, Brazil produced around 2,598,000 metric tons of mostly Arabica coffee beans. The dry processing method is mostly used in this country, which means that the red coffee cherries are spread out in the sun to dry until they reveal their seeds.

2. Vietnam (1,700,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee beans in the world. This country of the Southeast Asian Indochinese Peninsula produces approximately 1,700,000 metric tons of coffee beans each year.

Vietnam mostly focuses on the production of Robusta coffee beans, which contain about two times more caffeine than Arabica beans. These beans usually have a bitter taste, and are cheaper to produce. The country is seen as the largest exporter of Robusta coffee in the world.

3. Colombia (810,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Colombia is the third biggest producing country in the world, and the second largest producer of Arabica beans. This South American country produces approximately 810,000 metric tons of coffee beans each year.

Colombia used to be the second largest producer of coffee. Due to climate change, however, the production of Colombian coffee has recently been threatened, and the flavour of their famous coffee beans has changed.

4. Indonesia (700,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest producer of coffee beans, with an annual production of almost 700,000 metric tons. The mountainous regions of this Southeast Asian country have ideal conditions for the production of coffee.

Kopi luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world, is produced in Indonesia. This term refers to coffee created from beans that have been first eaten, and then defecated by the Asian palm civet, a mammal that enjoys eating coffee cherries.

5. Ethiopia (400,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Ethiopia, the original home of Arabica coffee, is the fifth largest producer of coffee beans. This African country has been producing coffee for more than 1100 years, and they grew and processed approximately 400,000 metric tons of coffee beans in 2018.

Different varieties of Arabica coffee beans have been developed in Ethiopia, and can’t be found anywhere else. The Limu, Harar, and Sidamo beans are a few examples.

6. India (350,000 metrics of coffee beans)

India is the sixth largest producer of coffee beans in the world, with an annual production of approximately 350,000 metric tons of beans. In this South Asian country, coffee trees are mostly grown by small farmers who also grow spices, which can give coffee beans a spicy flavour.

Both Robusta and Arabica beans are grown in India, and dry processing and wet processing are both popular. For wet processing, coffee beans are fermented and washed.

7. Honduras (348,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Honduras is the seventh producer of coffee beans in the world, with an annual production of approximately 348,000 metric tons of beans. The atmosphere of this country of Central America is perfect for the production of coffee.

However, due to coffee leaf rust, which is a fungal disease that attacks coffee trees, the production of beans in Honduras could be endagered if the disease is not being managed properly.

8. Uganda (288,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Uganda is now the eight largest producer of coffee beans in the world, and it is one of the top coffee producing countries in Africa. In fact, Robusta and Arabica coffee beans are the main export of this country of Central Africa.

The government used to strongly limit the coffee export of the country, which created some issues for the farmers working in this industry. Still, Uganda now produces approximately 288,000 metric tons of coffee beans each year.

9. Mexico (252,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Mexico is the ninth producer of coffee beans in the world. This North American country mostly produces high-quality Arabica beans, with an annual production of approximately 252,000 metric tons of beans.

Starting in 1989, there was a coffee crisis in Mexico, during which coffee beans were overproduced, and their prices fell. Coffee farmers have worked hard to recover from this crisis.

10. Guatemala (204,000 metrics of coffee beans)

Guatemala is the tenth producer of coffee beans in the world, with an estimated annual production of 204,000 metric tons of coffee beans. This country used to be the top producer in Central America, until Honduras took over in 2011.

The climate of Guatemala is perfect for the production of coffee, and farmers keep starting to grow coffee trees on new land. The demand for Guatemalan coffee is expected to increase. Obviously, the demand for coffee beans from all around the coffee belt is not expected to go down anytime soon!