In the coffee belt between the 23rd parallel north and 25th parallel south around the equator. The largest producing countries are Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.

Where Is Coffee Grown Worldwide?

In the coffee belt between the 23rd parallel north and 25th parallel south around the equator. The largest producing countries are Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.

Why that matters

The coffee plant needs a tropical to subtropical climate: year-round temperatures between 18 and 25 °C, 1,500–2,000 mm of rainfall per year, and no frost risk. These conditions are found in a belt around the equator — the so-called coffee belt. Over 70 countries grow coffee there.

The distribution is far from even. Brazil alone produces roughly one-third of the world’s coffee — primarily Arabica from the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. Vietnam follows as the second-largest producer, dominated by Robusta. Colombia is synonymous with high-quality washed Arabica. Ethiopia, as coffee’s country of origin, offers the greatest genetic diversity. Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi) produces both Arabica and Robusta.

In Central America, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica are important producing countries with a strong specialty coffee tradition. In East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda deliver coffees with distinctive fruit acidity. In Asia, India and Myanmar are gaining importance alongside Vietnam.

Each origin country has its own flavour profile — shaped by soil, altitude, climate, varieties, and processing methods. A Brazilian coffee tastes fundamentally different from a Kenyan one, even if both are Arabica. That diversity is exactly what makes specialty coffee so versatile.

At Green Wall Coffee

The coffees at our café on Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg don’t come from the biggest producers but from the best lots our roasters can find. Often that’s Ethiopia, Colombia, or Kenya — countries that don’t lead the volume statistics but rank at the top for quality. Volume and quality are two different rankings in coffee.

Related Questions

• Which countries produce the most coffee?
• Why doesn’t coffee grow in Europe?
• What sets highland coffee apart from lowland coffee?

More depth on this topic in the article How to Make Perfect Espresso. Or stop by at Sophienstraße 27 — Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm.