For the caffeine addicts among us, knowing which capital city comes top for the best brew may decide future travel plans or give well-earned bragging rights. With approximately two billion cups of coffee consumed every day, we sought to reveal the most coffee-obsessed capital cities in the world.
In order to crown the most coffee-obsessed city, BrewSmartly created an index looking at the following variables:
- Average rating
- Coffee shops per capita (per 100,000 people to account for varying population sizes)
- Import value per capita (USD)
The capital cities most obsessed with coffee
1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Whilst the Dutch like to brew their own coffee at home out of necessity, coffee shops are the real stars. People of various ages visit these stores in Amsterdam to sip coffee, unwind after work, and spend the evening chatting with friends. This is why it comes as no surprise there is an average of 116 coffee shops per 100,000 people with an average rating of 4.03 out of five.
These results, along with an import value per capita of $220.44, mean Amsterdam has an overall score of 8.71 out of 10 in our Coffee Index and can be crowned the most coffee-obsessed city in the world.
2. Dublin, Ireland
A city renowned for its love of Guinness is bound to need easy access to caffeine for the morning after. Luckily for residents and visitors of Dublin, there are 181 coffee shops per 100,000 people making the search for a brew effortless.
These coffee shops receive an average rating of 3.91 out of five, which shows there is not just an abundance of coffee in this capital, but you can count on it being good too. For this, Dublin receives an overall score of 7.95 in our Coffee Index and is the second most coffee-obsessed capital in the world.
3. Bern, Switzerland + Paris, France
With the highest import value per capita ($419.08), it’s safe to say that Bern is a city for coffee enthusiasts. You’ll be spoilt for choice if you’re searching for a decent spot to have a cup of coffee too, with 54 coffee shops per 100,000 people.
Likewise, it would be impossible to visit Paris without tasting the city’s world-famous café culture. After all, espressos, bread, and cheese are all part of the classic Parisian experience. The coffee shows are world-renowned and have an impressive average rating of 4.11 out of five. Whilst there are only 45 coffee shops per 100,000 people, the import value per capita stands at $159.51, which shows how high the demand is for caffeine.
Because of these scores, Bern and Paris secure a score of 7.43 out of 10 and sit as the (joint) third most coffee-obsessed capital city of those studied worldwide.
5. Prague, Czech Republic
As a city that even holds its own coffee festival, Prague is full of caffeine aficionados that treat going to a coffee shop as a social experience. Although the import value per capita is the lowest of our top five, at $57.98, the number of coffee shops (77 per 100,000 people) and their rating (3.96 out of five) mean Prague has achieved an overall score of 7.17 out of 10, making this capital city the fifth most coffee-obsessed in the world.
6. Lisbon, Portugal
Popular with many citizens, Galão is a national coffee made by combining espresso coffee with foamed milk. This drink is served in most coffee shops in the capital, where there are 167 coffee shops per 100,000 residents.
The import per capita is fairly high too, at $151.61, showing a great demand for a delicious caffeinated drink throughout the city. With these numbers, it’s unsurprising Lisbon has been awarded a score of seven out of 10, and ranks as the sixth most coffee-obsessed capital worldwide.
7. Helsinki, Finland
The seventh most coffee-obsessed capital city in the world is Helsinki. Finland has the highest coffee consumption per capita, at an average of just under 14 kg consumed per person, so it’s safe to say the coffee culture in Helsinki is pretty important.
The coffee shops in the region received an average rating of 3.88 out of five, and the import value per capita is $115.20, resulting in Helsinki gaining an overall score of 6.75 out of 10 in our Coffee Index.
8. Pago Pago, American Samoa + Copenhagen, Denmark
Pago Pago and Copenhagen have both achieved a joint score of 6.58 out of 10 in our Coffee Index, which means they are the eighth most coffee-obsessed capitals in the world.
The capital of American Samoa has more coffee shops per 100,000 people (246), the import value per capita is only $0.24. Comparatively, Copenhagen has a lower average rating of coffee shops and number of coffee shops per 100,000 people, but the import value is higher than Pago Pago, at $92.90.
10. Wellington, New Zealand
Rounding off the top 10 is Wellington, with an overall score of 6.57 out of 10 in our Coffee Index. Some of the world’s greatest brewers may be found in the coffee shops throughout the capital of New Zealand – of which there are 100 per 100,000 people – dishing up top-notch speciality coffee.
These results, along with the average rating for coffee shops sitting at four out of five, put Wellington at number 10 in our Coffee Index.
The full results
Two capital cities just missing out on the top 10 and sitting in joint 11th are Hong Kong and Berlin, both with an overall score of 6.49 out of 10 in our Coffee Index.
Coffee shops in Hong Kong are often minimalist, with the emphasis placed on the drink itself. This seems to work as the average rating of these shops is a respectable 3.94 out of five.
Home to some of the best instant coffee, Germany also knows how to do coffee shops right, with 27 for every 100,000 people. Coffee shops in Berlin have an impressive average rating of 4.23 out of five and an import value per capita of $53.57.
Methodology:
- BrewSmartly started by collating a list of the capital cities in the world and their population.
- Yelp was utilised to find out the number of coffee shops per capita (taking into account varying population sizes) and their ratings.
- The ratings were calculated by the weighted average to consider the difference between the number of reviews for each coffee shop and the rating.
- Coffee import data for each country was used as a variable, calculating coffee imports per capita to indicate the country’s coffee demands.
- The import trade value for the country has been adjusted to the import trade value of capital cities.
- The final variables used are as follows: Country, Capital, Weighted Average Rating, Coffee Shops Per 100,000, Import Value Per Capita (USD), and Overall Score.
This is hilariously bad. The only city you have from Australia is Canberra (of all places). I’ve been to most of the cities in your top 10 and none of them come even close to Melbourne for coffee obsession.
Your methodology is flawed. The only people who use Yelp in Australia are American tourists (and they’ll usually walk past a dozen amazing cafes to find a Starbucks).