Global coffee market: price trend by coffee type 1998-2019
Arabica and Robusta differences
Arabica and Robusta are the two most popular coffee varieties in the world. There are several important differences between the coffees. Robusta is originally from sub-Saharan Africa and is now primarily grown in Africa and Indonesia. Arabica, on the other hand, originated in the Ethiopian highlands and is now typically grown in South America and Africa. Another notable difference between the varieties is their amount of caffeine. Robusta contains nearly double the amount of caffeine of Arabica. Robusta also tolerates a wider range of climate conditions and produces a greater yield per hectare than Arabica. These are two factors which contribute to Arabica’s higher price.
Production and consumption
Due to its demand, over 101 million 60-kilogram bags of Arabica were produced worldwide in 2020. The less popular Robusta had a total production of 74.29 million 60-kilogram bags in the same year. Both varieties support the continually growing rate of coffee consumption. In 2020, 166.63 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee were consumed worldwide.