Younger Americans Are Ditching Coffee For Tea

from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy

After the European Union, the United States comes first in the world for coffee consumption.

Even though the average American drinks about 23 gallons of coffee every year, its traditional dominance is now being threatened by a rising tea trend. Since the turn of the millenium, tea consumption in the United States has grown 20 percent and it’s now the beverage of choice for a whole generation of young people.

When people under 30 were asked if they preferred coffee or tea, both proved equally popular with 42 percent of the vote each. However, coffee is still the beverage of choice for older Americans. 70 percent of people aged 65 and over prefer coffee while just 21 percent consider tea their drink of choice.

Why is tea becoming so popular in younger circles? The most likely explanation for rising tea consumption is the drink’s perceived health benefits. Green tea is proving especially popular across the nation among health-conscious consumers. Indeed, the trend shows little signs of waning, meaning coffee’s dominance may gradually erode over the next few years.

This chart shows the percentage of Americans who prefer coffee or tea by age group in 2015.

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