The UK has nearly 40,000 cafés but ranks only 19th for coffee obsession in Europe
As coffee lovers mark International Coffee Day, new research has revealed which European countries appear to be the most coffee-obsessed based on the number of cafés available relative to their population…
From espresso bars and neighborhood cafés to independent coffee shops, some countries have dramatically more places to grab a cup than others once population size is taken into account.
A new study by Contact Coffee Co compared 48 European countries and territories using the number of cafés per 10,000 residents, revealing where café culture is most concentrated. The study compared 48 European countries and territories using the number of cafés per 10,000 residents. Countries with a higher number of cafés relative to their population ranked more highly. The total number of cafés was also included to show the overall size of each country’s café market.
Portugal takes the top spot, recording 13.87 cafés per 10,000 residents, the highest figure in the study.
The country has 14,420 cafés in total, giving residents one of the strongest levels of café availability anywhere in Europe.
Portugal and Croatia lead Europe for café culture
Croatia ranks a very close second, with 13.77 cafés per 10,000 residents.
Despite having a much smaller total of 5,263 cafés, Croatia’s population means its café density is almost identical to Portugal’s.
Montenegro comes third, recording 12.71 cafés per 10,000 residents, with 796 cafés identified across the country.
Greece follows in fourth place with 12.46 cafés per 10,000 residents and one of the largest total café counts among the leading countries at 12,327.
Cyprus completes the top five, recording 10.67 cafés per 10,000 residents from a total of 1,475 cafés.
Luke Dalton, spokesperson for Contact Coffee Co, said: “What stands out is just how concentrated café culture is in some of these countries.
“Portugal and Croatia both have more than 13 cafés for every 10,000 residents, which means cafés are not simply something you find in major city centers. They form a much more visible part of everyday life.
“It also shows why looking at the total number of cafés alone can be misleading. A smaller country can have a far stronger café presence once you adjust for population.”
Italy makes the top 10
Guernsey ranks sixth with 9.29 cafés per 10,000 residents, followed by Albania in seventh with 9.06.
Monaco takes eighth place with 7.35 cafés per 10,000 residents, while Slovenia ranks ninth at 6.81.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given its famous espresso culture, Italy completes the top 10.
Italy has 39,901 cafés in total, one of the highest raw counts in the entire dataset, which works out at 6.77 cafés per 10,000 residents.
Dalton added: “Italy is interesting because it performs strongly both in total café numbers and when you look at availability per resident.
“But the ranking also shows that countries people may not immediately associate with having Europe’s strongest café density, such as Portugal, Croatia and Montenegro, actually come out ahead once the numbers are adjusted for population.”
UK ranks 19th for café obsession
The United Kingdom ranks 19th overall, with 5.72 cafés per 10,000 residents.
However, the UK has one of the highest total numbers of cafés in the study, with 39,979 venues identified.
That puts the UK just ahead of Iceland in 20th place and behind Malta in 18th.
The result also places the UK above countries including Finland, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, France and Poland when cafés are measured relative to population.
“The UK has a huge number of cafés overall, but because the population is much larger, that total looks different when converted into cafés per 10,000 people.
“For coffee drinkers, it is a useful reminder that the biggest markets do not necessarily have the greatest café availability on a per-person basis.”
Bigger countries do not always rank highest
The ranking highlights a major difference between total café numbers and café density.
Russia has the highest overall number of cafés in the dataset at 51,105, but ranks only 38th because that equates to 3.56 cafés per 10,000 residents.
Germany also has a large café market, with 34,029 cafés, but ranks 33rd at 4.07 cafés per 10,000 residents.
France has 17,543 cafés but places 45th overall, with 2.63 cafés per 10,000 residents.
Spain, meanwhile, performs more strongly, ranking 25th with 24,261 cafés and 5.07 cafés per 10,000 residents.
“A country can have tens of thousands of cafés and still have fewer available per person than somewhere much smaller.
“That is why the per-capita figure is useful. It gives a better sense of how dense café culture actually is for the people living there.”
Top 10 most coffee-obsessed countries
Portugal: 13.87 cafés per 10,000 residents
Croatia: 13.77
Montenegro: 12.71
Greece: 12.46
Cyprus: 10.67
Guernsey: 9.29
Albania: 9.06
Monaco: 7.35
Slovenia: 6.81
Italy: 6.77
Where the UK ranks
The UK places 19th out of 48 countries and territories, with:
39,979 cafés in total
5.72 cafés per 10,000 residents
A higher café density than Spain, Norway, Germany and France
One of the highest overall café totals in the study
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