The place to be will be Brussels, from June 25 to 27. The World of Coffee Europe trade show will be coming to our city. This event, organized by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), changes cities every year. The SCA's primary objective is to promote coffee of excellence. The trade show is steadily growing in importance: it attracted more than 430 exhibitors and nearly 20,000 visitors in 2025 in Geneva.
World of Coffee Europe in Brussels: a choice that makes perfect s
It's no surprise that our capital was chosen by the organizers, following in the footsteps of cities such as Athens, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam. Belgians are indeed addicted to coffee. Our country ranks among the top 10 in the world in terms of per capita consumption.
We consume half as much as Finns, but Finland is a unique case. There, people drink this beverage for climatic reasons (the winter is harsh and endless), cultural reasons (coffee breaks are a right enshrined in Finnish law), and social reasons (Finns see drinking coffee as a way to forge bonds, and refusing a cup of coffee is frowned upon). Filter coffee served with a cardamom bun (cardamom is an aromatic plant from Asia) is in the DNA of the Finnish people.
All these explanations lead to some alarming figures: the average Finn consumes nearly 12 kilograms of coffee per year. That's a world record.
Europe consumes 30% of total global production.
Good to know: it is not in the territories of the world's largest producers (Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia) that the most coffee is consumed. The largest market is Europe, which accounts for nearly 30% of total global consumption. Statistical institutes claim that 7 out of 10 Europeans drink coffee every day. And the average annual consumption on our continent is around 5 kilograms per capita.
And what about the Belgians in all this?
The Belgians fare very well in this particular ranking. Far from the improbable Finnish standards (12 kilos per year), also well behind the Swedes and Norwegians (9 to 11 kilos per year, again due to the weather, which makes people want to warm up in the far north, and the "social" aspect of coffee consumption), quite far behind the Dutch and Slovenians (between 8 and 9 kilos), but ahead of the French and Germans (who consume between 5 and 6 kilos). Belgians, like Italians, have an average annual consumption of around 6 kilograms. That's 2 to 3 cups a day. This is perfect for flirting with the "sweet spot," a concept that could be defined as the "ideal zone," not to be exceeded, to prevent the disadvantages from outweighing the benefits.
What types of coffee do we offer?
Across Europe, coffee beans, organic and fair trade products are becoming increasingly popular. Sales of specialty coffees are growing steadily. And automatic coffee machines are becoming more and more widespread, especially in offices. But consumption habits can vary greatly from one country to another.
In Germany (the European country that consumes the largest amount of coffee, given its population of nearly 85 million people), filter coffee served in an XXL cup is very popular. Many French people remain attached to their inevitable café crème and strong espresso. Italy (which produces a quarter of the roasted coffee in the European Union) lives to the rhythm of espresso and cappuccino. Spaniards are used to a few drops of milk.
Milk, in our country... is in every other cup. A very precise study reveals the following figures: 51% of Belgians drink their coffee black, 48% add a little milk or cream, and 30% add sugar. Cold coffee appeals to just under 10% of the population.
Article written by Pierre Danvoye for Cafés Van Hove
