A pound of ground roast coffee averaged $9.317 in July 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just below the record $9.723 set in April. The high prices frame this week’s National Coffee Day on September 29 and the first UN-observed International Day of Coffee on October 1.
Key Takeaways
- BLS data shows ground roast coffee averaged $9.492 per pound from January through July 2026, compared with $8.872 in August 2025.
- USDA’s Economic Research Service forecasts nonalcoholic beverage prices will rise 4.2% in 2026, compared with 2.4% for food-at-home prices overall.
- World Bank monthly data put Arabica coffee at about $7.97 per kilogram and Robusta at about $3.98 in August 2026.
- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is marking the first UN observance of International Day of Coffee in Geneva under the theme “Celebrating Coffee, Honouring the People Behind Every Cup.”
- In the National Coffee Association’s 2025 survey, 66% of American adults said they drink coffee daily, averaging about 2.8 cups.
Coffee Prices Ease Slightly From an April Record
American coffee drinkers are paying more for their daily cup than at almost any point in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ records. The BLS average price for 100% ground roast coffee reached $9.723 per pound in April 2026, the highest monthly reading in a series that goes back to 1980.
Prices have eased since then. The average fell to $9.457 in June and $9.317 in July, a 1.5% drop from June to July. That is still well above the $8.872 average recorded in August 2025, and above the January 2026 reading of $9.366.
The averages cover ground roast coffee in cans or plastic containers in U.S. cities. They do not reflect specialty, whole bean, or cafe prices, but they offer a consistent national benchmark for what households pay to brew at home.
Grocery Coffee Costs Outpace the Wider Food Basket
USDA’s Economic Research Service, in its September 25 Food Price Outlook, forecasts that nonalcoholic beverage prices will rise 4.2% in 2026, with a forecast range of 3.5% to 5.0%. That outpaces the 2.4% increase expected for food-at-home prices overall. In its previous outlook, ERS identified coffee and tea among the main sources of price pressure in the beverage category.
Coffee is a daily purchase for many households, so even modest increases show up quickly in household spending.
Global Bean Prices Remain Elevated
Prices at the farm and trade level explain much of what consumers see on shelves. World Bank monthly commodity data put Arabica coffee, the bean used in most specialty and premium blends, at about $7.97 per kilogram in August 2026. Robusta, which is common in instant coffee and many blends, was about $3.98 per kilogram.
As with other commodities, changes in bean prices take months to reach retail shelves. Roasters buy green coffee well ahead of time, so current shelf prices partly reflect costs locked in earlier in the year.
Brewing at Home Still Costs a Fraction of the Cafe
The National Coffee Association’s 2025 survey shows how central coffee is to daily routines. Of the 1,862 U.S. adults surveyed in June 2025, 66% said they drink coffee daily, averaging about 2.8 cups. Among coffee drinkers, 82% had coffee at home in the past day, while 36% had it away from home.
The at-home habit is where price changes register most directly. One pound of ground coffee makes about 48 six-ounce cups. At the July 2026 average of $9.317 per pound, that works out to roughly 19 cents of coffee per cup before milk or sugar.
Even at near-record prices, home brewing remains a fraction of the cost of a cafe drink. That gap gives households a clear lever when budgets tighten, especially with gasoline and other everyday costs pressuring family spending this fall.
The UN’s First International Day of Coffee Honors Coffee Farmers
October 1, 2026 marks the first observance of International Day of Coffee by the United Nations. The FAO Liaison Office in Geneva is hosting the event at the Palais des Nations with the permanent missions of Indonesia, Rwanda, and Türkiye. The program includes a dialogue across the coffee supply chain and a coffee tasting.
The theme, “Celebrating Coffee, Honouring the People Behind Every Cup,” puts the focus on producers. Most of the world’s coffee is grown by smallholder farmers in tropical regions, far from the American kitchens and cafes where it ends up. The International Coffee Organization has promoted International Coffee Day since launching it in Milan in 2015, and UN recognition broadens the occasion’s reach.
For U.S. consumers, the two observances, two days apart, show coffee’s place as both a daily ritual and a global agricultural product. Sustained high prices reflect growing conditions and supply chains that link American households to farming communities around the world.
FAQs
How much does a pound of coffee cost in 2026?
A pound of ground roast coffee averaged $9.317 in July 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The record high was $9.723 per pound in April 2026.
Are coffee prices going down in 2026?
Prices have eased slightly from their April 2026 record, falling to $9.317 per pound in July. They remain above the $8.872 average recorded in August 2025.
When is International Day of Coffee in 2026?
International Day of Coffee falls on October 1. In 2026, the United Nations observes it for the first time, with an FAO event in Geneva. National Coffee Day in the United States is September 29.
How many Americans drink coffee every day?
The National Coffee Association’s 2025 survey found that 66% of American adults drink coffee daily, averaging about 2.8 cups per day.
How much does a cup of home-brewed coffee cost?
At the July 2026 average of $9.317 per pound, and about 48 six-ounce cups per pound, home-brewed coffee costs roughly 19 cents per cup before milk or sugar.
