1 in 10 coffee drinkers chooses decaf as demand surges in Korea
A cup of decaffeinated coffee / Courtesy of Ediya Coffee
One in 10 coffee drinkers in Korea now opts for decaffeinated coffee, signaling that decaf has become a mainstream beverage choice rather than a niche option for people sensitive to caffeine.
Starbucks Korea said Monday that its decaf coffee sales have steadily risen over the past three years, from 20.2 million cups in 2022 to 21 million in 2023 and 32.7 million in 2024. Decaf now accounts for about 1 in every 10 cups of Americano sold nationwide.
Sales are particularly strong in the afternoon, when customers tend to avoid caffeine intake. Between Oct. 1-15, decaf sales at Starbucks remained similar to those in July, but other coffee chains saw notable growth.
During the same period, Twosome Place reported a 32 percent increase in decaf sales after 5 p.m. compared with three months earlier, while Ediya Coffee recorded a 15 percent rise.
Production data also shows the growing popularity of decaf coffee. According to Rep. Park Hee-seung of the Democratic Party of Korea, citing data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, domestic decaf coffee production reached 18.64 million kilograms in 2024 — about 2.9 times higher than in 2020.
Its share of total coffee production also grew from 0.8 percent to 1.3 percent during the same period, while imports rose from 988 tons to 1,700 tons.
“We’ve noticed that decaf sales rise even outside the summer peak season, showing that consumers are becoming more mindful of caffeine intake," an Ediya Coffee official said.
Another coffee franchise official said, “Decaf has shifted from being a special option to an everyday choice, and we plan to keep expanding our product range to meet diverse tastes.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.