Coffee consumption in the Republic of Moldova has seen a significant increase over the past 10 years, with an annual rate of 18% per adult. If in the year 2000 a Moldovan consumed, on average, only one cup of coffee per year, by 2024 the figure had reached 167 cups, surpassing the global average of 140 cups per adult per year. However, consumption in Moldova is seven times less than in the European Union, where an adult drinks, on average, 1170 cups annually, reports IPN, citing data presented by the company iData.

Almost 60% of the coffee consumed in Moldova comes from Italy, followed by Germany and Russia. Only 4.6% of coffee is imported directly from the producing countries, with the rest coming from industrialized states that process the beans.

In the Republic of Moldova, the advantageous import price of coffee beans has stimulated the development of their processing for export. In recent years, the main export markets have been Romania, the United Arab Emirates, and Belarus. The development of local processing capacities, diversification of foreign markets, and expansion of direct sources of supply could strengthen the sector and increase competitiveness on the international market, notes iData. In the European Union, most coffee comes from Brazil and Vietnam. Other important supplier countries are Uganda, Honduras, and India. Among EU member states, the largest coffee imports were made by Germany, followed by Italy and Belgium.