While tea is consumed by nearly 100% of households, coffee consumption stands at just 6% among the top income quintile. Though there is a reasonable growth from 1% to 6% for this quintile since 2018

Has Pakistan become a coffee nation? The data suggests otherwise.

Using data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) conducted by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, we at Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics examined the percentage of households that reported buying tea or coffee in the last 30 days—a strong indicator of actual consumption rather than mere aspiration.

Tea (2018 → 2025):
– Across all income groups, 98–99% of households purchased tea in the last month.
– No change, no class divide, no trend shift.
– Tea remains a true staple—like roti.

Coffee (2018 → 2025):
– Among the poorest 80% of households: consumption remains near zero.
– Among the richest 20%: growth from 1% to 6%.

This indicates that Pakistan has not shifted from tea to coffee; rather, it has only added coffee to the diets of its wealthiest households. While coffee chains may be visible in urban areas, nationally, coffee remains:
– A niche product
– A class marker
– A lifestyle signal, not a mass habit

This serves as a reminder that urban visibility does not equate to national transformation. The significance of 30-day purchase data lies in its ability to capture routine behavior, not just café selfies.

In summary:
– Tea = universal necessity
– Coffee = elite experiment

Two beverages, two completely different economic stories.