Estimates place the number of coffee farmers in the world somewhere in the ballpark of 12.5 to 25 million. But, this information is difficult to find because it’s considered industry proprietary data. Therefore, it’s best to study the output by region and country.
There are 53 countries that cultivate coffee. Smallholder farms, occupying less than five hectares, are responsible for about 60% of the world’s coffee. 21% comes from large farms and estates with more than 50 hectares of land. The other 19% comes from medium-sized farms and estates ranging between a property size of five and 50 hectares.
How Many Coffee Farmers are in the Caribbean?
The numbers of coffee farmers in the Caribbean are fuzzy and there are several reasons for this. First is the political situation, specifically in Haiti and Cuba. Either government controls or political upheavals have left the region bereft of its coffee production.
The other reason is because of volatile and unpredictable weather, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. These destroy farms and it’s difficult for farmers to recoup in the aftermath.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Cuba | Unknown | 13,227,000 | 36 |
| Dominican Republic | About 500,000 | 52,910,000 | 27 |
| Haiti | Unknown | 46,297,000 | 28 |
| Jamaica | Around 8,200 | 2,777,000 | 45 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,000 farms/10,000 growers | Insignificant | 52 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Unknown | 1,587,000 | 48 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in Central America?
Estimates place the number of coffee farmers in Central America to somewhere upwards of 628,000. This is impressive due to the fact it contains some of the highest ranking coffee producers that put out the most amount of beans per year.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Costa Rica | 43,000 | 197,357,000 | 15 |
| El Salvador | 200,000 | 100,975,000 | 19 |
| Guatemala | 125,000 | 449,743,000 | 10 |
| Honduras | 120,000 | 767,208,000 | 6 |
| Mexico | 100,000 | 515,881,000 | 9 |
| Nicaragua | 40,000 | 291,010,00 | 12 |
| Panama | Unknown | 13,227,000 | 37 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in South America?
The number of coffee farmers in South America will vary greatly depending on the country. This is due to things like politics, natural disasters and changes in climate. That said, Brazil is the number one producer of coffee beans in the world along with Colombia, which takes third place.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Bolivia | Unknown | 11,094,000 | 38 |
| Brazil | 220,000 | 5,714,381,000 | 1 |
| Colombia | 500,000 | 1,785,744,000 | 3 |
| Ecuador | 100,000 | 92,594,000 | 20 |
| Paraguay | Unknown | 2,645,000 | 46 |
| Peru | 110,000 | 423,287,000 | 11 |
| Venezuela | Unknown | 66,138,000 | 26 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in Polynesia/Oceania?
Between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea, there are nearly 300,000 coffee farmers. They put out over 135 million pounds of coffee per year, which is rather notable. These islands don’t have a huge landmass, so that’s a lot of coffee for such a small area.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Hawaii | More than 800 farmers | Around 30 million | n/a (between 30 to 31) |
| Papua New Guinea | 280,660 | 105,821,000 | 17 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in Asia & Arabia?
Even though we don’t know the exact number of farmers in China and Yemen, we do know India has 250,000 and ranks among the top 10 coffee-producing countries. That said, China must have quite a few due to the fact they sit in the 13th spot.
Yemen, on the other hand, is a special case. At one time, they were the number one producer of coffee in the world. But, recent decades have slowed production due to war, famine and other unfortunate events.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| China | Unknown | 257,544,000 | 13 |
| India | 250,000 | 767,208,000 | 7 |
| Yemen | Unknown | 15,873,000 | 35 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in Southeast Asia?
Southeast Asia has really grown within the last century. Although coffee isn’t indigenous there, it has taken off exceptionally well. There are upwards of two million coffee farmers, with Indonesia and Vietnam being among the top five largest producers in the world.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Indonesia (Sumatra & Java) | 1,342,000 | 1,455,050,000 | 4 |
| Laos | 20,000 (communities) | 68,784,000 | 22 |
| Philippines | 276,000 | 26,455,000 | 32 |
| Thailand | Unknown | 66,138,000 | 25 |
| Timor Leste | 76,846 | 10,582,000 | 39 |
| Vietnam | 500,000 | 3,637,627,000 | 2 |
How Many Coffee Farmers are in Africa?
As a continent, Africa is the largest producer of coffee in the world. They have in excess of something like 7.5 million farmers. Because Africa’s production is such a huge endeavor, it’s best to examine them by region for a better understanding.
East
Ethiopia is the country with the largest number of farms on the eastern side of Africa, 2.2 million to be exact. They sit as the fifth largest producer with a yearly output of almost 850 million pounds. But, Uganda is close behind with just fewer than two million farmers.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Ethiopia | 2.2 million | 846,575,000 | 5 |
| Kenya | 512,000 | 110,187,000 | 16 |
| Madagascar | Unknown | 68,784,000 | 23 |
| Malawi | 3,000 to 4,000 smallholder farms + five large estates | 2,116,000 | 47 |
| Tanzania | 320,000 smallholder farms + five large estates | 105,821,000 | 18 |
| Uganda | 1.8 million | 634,931,000 | 8 |
| Zimbabwe | Unknown | 1,322,000 | 49 |
Central
Central Africa produces the least amount of coffee per year and has the smallest total number of farmers, less than a million. However, the quality of beans they produce is off the charts in taste, grade and all-around perfection.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Burundi | 500,000 | 26,455,000 | 31 |
| Central African Republic | Unknown | 8,598,000 | 40 |
| The Democratic Republic of the Congo | 11,000 | 44,312,000 | 29 |
| Rwanda | 400,000 | 33,069,000 | 30 |
| Zambia | 600 smallholder farms + five large estates | 264,000 | 51 |
West
West Africa has the largest number of coffee-producing countries. Unfortunately, political upheavals make it impossible to know exactly how many farmers there are. That said, we do know there are at least two million.
|
Country/Region |
Number of Farms |
Yearly Output (pounds) |
Rank |
| Angola | 2,000 (plantations) | 4,629,000 | 44 |
| Cameroon | Unknown | 75,398,000 | 21 |
| Gabon | At least 3,000 | 66,138,000 | 24 |
| Ghana | At least 900 | 4,894,000 | 42 |
| Ivory Coast | 150,000 | 238,099,000 | 14 |
| Liberia | Unknown | 793,000 | 50 |
| Nigeria | Unknown | 5,291,000 | 41 |
| Sierra Leone | 13,000 | 4,761,000 | 43 |
| Togo | 1.5 million | 26,455,000 | 33 |
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.