What the average US coffee price measures
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the average retail price of 100% ground roast coffee, all sizes, converted to a price per pound, in US cities each month. The chart covers 1980 onward in current dollars. Whole bean, instant and single-serve pods are not included, and neither is coffee bought at cafes.
How to read this chart
Retail coffee follows world prices for green (unroasted) coffee beans with a lag of several months, as roasters use up inventory bought earlier. The main spikes trace back to bad harvests in Brazil, the world’s largest producer, often from frost or drought. Retail prices rise faster than they fall, because roasters pass on higher costs quickly but cut prices slowly.
The latest reading in context
- At $9.33, the latest reading is above its 5-year average of $6.91 and above its 10-year average of $5.68.
- That is higher than 99% of all monthly readings since January 1980 – near the top of its historical range.
- Direction: up 0.4% over the past month; down 2.9% over the past six months; up 2.1% over the past year.
- The highest value on record is $9.72 (April 2026, this year); the lowest is $2.35 (January 1993, 33 years ago).
- The full history spans 6 US recessions, shaded grey on the chart.
Why it matters
Americans drink roughly 400 million cups of coffee a day, and almost all of it is imported, since the US grows very little coffee. That makes the price sensitive to weather abroad, the dollar exchange rate and trade policy, a clear example of how global events reach the grocery shelf.
What moves the average US coffee price
- Harvests in Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia
- Weather: frost and drought in growing regions
- Shipping costs and the dollar exchange rate
- US tariffs on imported coffee
- Roasters’ hedging and inventory
Key moments in its history
- 1986Rose after drought in Brazil.
- 1994–1995Jumped after frosts damaged Brazil’s crop.
- 2014Rose again after a Brazilian drought.
- 2025Hit record highs after poor harvests in Brazil and Vietnam and new import tariffs.
Coffee Prices data tables
Average by decade
| Decade | Average | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s (so far) | $6.31 | $9.72 | $4.17 |
| 2010s | $4.80 | $6.07 | $3.56 |
| 2000s | $3.14 | $3.69 | $2.75 |
| 1990s | $3.30 | $4.67 | $2.35 |
| 1980s | $2.79 | $3.74 | $2.41 |
Last 12 months
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | $9.33 | +0.4% |
| Aug 2026 | $9.30 | −0.2% |
| Jul 2026 | $9.32 | −1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | $9.46 | −0.6% |
| May 2026 | $9.51 | −2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | $9.72 | +1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | $9.61 | +1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | $9.46 | +1.0% |
| Jan 2026 | $9.37 | +3.5% |
| Dec 2025 | $9.05 | −2.2% |
| Nov 2025 | $9.26 | |
| Oct 2025 | n/a | not published |
Monthly values. Decade figures are averages of the monthly values in each decade. The complete history is available as a CSV file.
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Coffee Prices: questions and answers
Why are coffee prices so high?
Weather problems cut harvests in Brazil and Vietnam, pushing world bean prices to records, and import tariffs added to the cost for US buyers.
Does this include coffee at cafes?
No. It is the supermarket price of ground roast coffee. Cafe prices are mostly driven by labor and rent.
Is the US a coffee producer?
Only a little, in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Nearly all coffee sold in the US is imported.
Where does the data on this chart come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ChartWidgets downloads the series (APU0000717311) from FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis database, and checks for new releases every day. The last update was on November 1, 2026.