Business
The World’s Top Coffee Producing Countries
The World’s Top Coffee Producing Countries
In many cities around the world, there’s a café on every corner, so it comes as no surprise that coffee is one of the globes’ top commodities. As the third most consumed beverage globally, after water and tea, coffee beans are in high demand almost everywhere.
The top producing nations each produce billions of kilograms of coffee beans that find their way into the hands of eager consumers. According to the International Coffee Organization, a total of 169.6 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee were produced worldwide in 2020.
So, why does the world universally love coffee so much?
For The Love of Coffee
As most coffee lovers would tell you, drinking coffee is a complex and nuanced experience—there’s the rich aroma, the comforting warmth, and the loveliness of the ritual of sitting down with a fresh cup.
With the variety of ways it can be served and the jolt of caffeine it provides us, it’s not hard to see why the world loves its coffee. In fact, we love the beverage so much that humans have conditioned themselves to associate the bitter taste of coffee with a bout of energy and positive reinforcement.
So, where does the journey of each cup of joe originate? Let’s get to know the world’s top coffee producing countries.
The World’s Coffee Production Leaders
At the end of 2020, the top 10 biggest coffee-producing nations held 87% of the commodity’s market share.
Here is a list of the top 20 largest coffee-producing nations in the world:
Rank | Country | Production in 2020 (Million 60-kg Bags) | Total Market Share |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 63.4 | 37.4% |
2 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 29.0 | 17.1% |
3 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 14.3 | 8.4% |
4 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 12.0 | 7.1% |
5 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 7.3 | 4.3% |
6 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 6.1 | 3.6% |
7 | 🇮🇳 India | 5.7 | 3.4% |
8 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 5.6 | 3.3% |
9 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 4.0 | 2.4% |
10 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 3.8 | 2.2% |
11 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 3.7 | 2.2% |
12 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 2.7 | 1.6% |
13 | 🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | 1.8 | 1.1% |
14 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 1.5 | 0.9% |
15 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 0.9 | 0.5% |
16 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 0.7 | 0.4% |
17 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 0.7 | 0.4% |
18 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 0.6 | 0.4% |
19 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 0.6 | 0.4% |
20 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 0.6 | 0.4% |
While some of the world’s top coffee-producing nations are well known, others may come as a surprise. More than 70 countries produce coffee, but the majority of global output comes from just the top five producers: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.
Meet the Top Coffee Producing Countries
1. Brazil
Brazil is a true powerhouse of coffee production. The country single-highhandedly produces nearly 40% of the world’s coffee supply.
Many areas in Brazil have a climate perfectly conducive to coffee farming. Coffee plantations cover about 27,000 square kilometers of Brazil, with the majority located in Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Parana.
Brazil distinguishes itself from most other coffee-producing nations by drying the coffee cherries in the sun (unwashed coffee) rather than washing them.
The country is so influential to coffee production that the 60-kilogram burlap bags historically used to export beans from Brazil are still the worldwide standard for measuring production and trade.
2. Vietnam
Vietnam found a niche in the international market by focusing primarily on the less-expensive Robusta bean. Robusta beans can have up to twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, giving the coffee a more bitter taste.
Though coffee has been grown in the region for well over a century, production skyrocketed through the 1990s after Vietnam’s communist government introduced economic reforms (known as Đổi Mới).
Today, Vietnam accounts for more than 40% of the world’s Robusta bean production.
Coffee cultivation in Vietnam is also extremely productive. The country’s coffee yields are considerably higher than other top coffee-producing countries.
3. Colombia
A popular advertising campaign featuring a fictional coffee farmer named Juan Valdez helped brand Colombia as one of the most famous coffee-producing nations. A coveted drink of choice, Colombian coffee is prized for its aromatic, mild, and fruity flavors.
4. Indonesia
Some of the rarest coffees in the Western world originate in Indonesia, including Kopi Luwak—a type of bean that has been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. Coffee made from these coffee beans might cost you anywhere between $35 to $100 per cup.
5. Ethiopia
Known for its full-flavored, down-to-earth, and full-bodied coffee beans, Ethiopia is the country that gave us the Arabica coffee plant. Today this type of coffee is considered to be the most widely sold in cafes and restaurants across the world.
All of these top producing countries are found in the so-called “Bean Belt”, which is located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

The Future of Coffee Production
With global temperatures on the rise, good coffee may become increasingly challenging to grow. To future-proof good and continued growth of coffee beans, finding newer and hybrid blends of coffee beans is essential.
Several studies and research missions have found wild species of coffee growing off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire and in certain regions of Sierra Leone, which could be the answer to our coffee production problems. Coffee from these coffee plants tasted similar to the famous Arabica bean and also grew at higher temperatures.
Though the future of coffee production around the world is somewhat uncertain, our collective love of the morning cup of coffee will drive innovative solutions, even in the face of changing climate patterns.
Money
Ranked: The Highest Paid CEOs in the S&P 500
This graphic reveals the top 20 highest paid CEOs in the S&P 500 from Sundar Pichai to Jamie Dimon.

Ranked: The Highest Paid CEOs in the S&P 500
Many of the world’s most valuable companies are listed on the S&P 500, the benchmark index for the U.S. stock market.
For this reason, it is no surprise to see that CEOs of these key companies have multi-million dollar compensation packages. But what do these pay packages comprise? And do these CEOs always receive the compensation they are awarded? Or does it increase and decrease with stock market fluctuations?
In today’s infographic, we use data published by The Wall Street Journal to show the highest paid CEOs of S&P 500 companies in 2022, and delve into what their compensation includes.
The 20 Highest Paid CEOs
The compensation packages of CEOs of S&P 500 companies comprise not just salaries, but bonuses, stock awards, and other incentives.
Here are the CEOs of S&P 500 companies that were awarded the highest pay packages last year, and the sectors they belong to.
CEO | Company | Sector | Total Pay |
---|---|---|---|
Sundar Pichai | Alphabet | Communication Services | $226M |
Michael Rapino | Live Nation Entertainment | Communication Services | $139M |
Tim Cook | Apple | Info Tech | $99M |
Peter Zaffino | American International Group | Financials | $75M |
Hock Tan | Broadcom | Info Tech | $61M |
Vicente Reynal | Ingersoll Rand | Industrials | $55M |
Reed Hastings | Netflix | Communication Services | $51M |
Theodore Sarandos | Netflix | Communication Services | $50M |
Hamid Moghadam | Prologis | Real Estate | $48M |
Stephen Squeri | American Express | Financials | $48M |
James Gorman | Morgan Stanley | Financials | $39M |
David Zaslav | Warner Bros. Discovery | Communication Services | $39M |
William McDermott | ServiceNow | Info Tech | $39M |
Mark Begor | Equifax | Industrials | $37M |
Darren W. Woods | Exxon Mobil | Energy | $36M |
David Simon | Simon Property Group | Real Estate | $36M |
James Dimon | JPMorgan Chase | Financials | $35M |
Julie Sweet | Accenture | Info Tech | $34M |
Albert Bourla | Pfizer | Medical | $33M |
Laurence Fink | BlackRock | Financials | $33M |
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, topped the list with an awarded pay package valued at around $226 million, which was over 800 times Google’s median employee compensation. His pay package included his annual salary of $2 million, a sum of $6 million for his personal security and stock awards valued at $218 million.
Meanwhile, Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino’s awarded pay package shot up to $139 million in 2022 from almost $14 million the previous year. This included stock awards initially valued at $116 million. Tech companies Apple and Broadcom were not far behind. While Apple CEO Tim Cook’s compensation package was valued at $99 million in 2022, Broadcom’s president and CEO Hock Tan was awarded $61 million.
Other CEOs that made it to the list include global insurance giant AIG’s CEO, Peter Zaffino, and Netflix’s co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings. While Hastings received a $10 million hike last year, he stepped down from this role in January 2023.
Rising Median CEO Income Hits a Wall
Over the last decade, the median pay awarded to CEOs across S&P 500 companies has doubled.
Year | Median Total Compensation for S&P 500 CEOs | Change (%) |
---|---|---|
2010 | $7.68M | n/a |
2011 | $7.56M | -2% |
2012 | $6.96M | -8% |
2013 | $7.95M | 14% |
2014 | $9.35M | 18% |
2015 | $9.72M | 4% |
2016 | $9.93M | 2% |
2017 | $10.62M | 7% |
2018 | $11.81M | 11% |
2019 | $12.20M | 3% |
2020 | $13.43M | 10% |
2021 | $14.67M | 9% |
2022 | $14.50M | -1% |
In 2021, this number hit a high of $14.7 million.
However, in 2022, the median CEO compensation package hit a wall for the first time in a decade as it slightly fell to $14.5 million.
Compensation Actually Paid
A compensation package dependent on market valuation means that these CEOs may receive more or less than the pay they are slated to receive.
This is because most stock awards aren’t granted when announced, but instead vest over time, becoming subject to changes in share prices.
In 2022, the SEC introduced new disclosure rules for companies to report this realized value for executive pay packages, appropriately called “compensation actually paid.”
CEO | Company | Total Pay | Compensation Paid |
---|---|---|---|
Sundar Pichai | Alphabet | $226M | $116M |
Michael Rapino | Live Nation Entertainment | $139M | $36M |
Tim Cook | Apple | $99M | N/A |
Peter Zaffino | American International Group | $75M | $91M |
Hock Tan | Broadcom | $61M | N/A |
Vicente Reynal | Ingersoll Rand | $55M | $51M |
Reed Hastings | Netflix | $51M | $50M |
Theodore (Ted) Sarandos | Netflix | $50M | $50M |
Hamid. Moghadam | Prologis | $48M | -$8M |
Stephen Squeri | American Express | $48M | $43M |
James Gorman | Morgan Stanley | $39M | $31M |
David Zaslav | Warner Bros. Discovery | $39M | -$41M |
William McDermott | ServiceNow | $39M | -$76M |
Mark Begor | Equifax | $37M | -$19M |
Darren Woods | Exxon Mobil | $36M | $90M |
David Simon | Simon Property Group | $36M | $30M |
James Dimon | JPMorgan Chase | $35M | $37M |
Julie Sweet | Accenture | $34M | N/A |
Albert Bourla | Pfizer | $33M | $6M |
Laurence Fink | BlackRock | $33M | -$6M |
The Wall Street Journal report revealed that many of the top-paid S&P 500 CEOs in 2022 received much smaller pay packages due to market fluctuations.
For example, Sundar Pichai ended up receiving about $116 million as the value of Alphabet’s stock dropped at the time that his grants vested. Similarly, Michael Rapino was paid almost $36 million, though his stock awards will continue vesting for another five years.
Barring Pichai, many of the names of the highest paid S&P 500 CEOs were eclipsed by CEOs of several energy companies, like Exxon Mobil and Chevron, whose stock prices shot up in 2022.
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