African countries exported a record 19.69 million bags of coffee, equivalent to 1.18 million tons, in the 2024/2025 season, according to data released Wednesday by the International Coffee Organization (ICO).
The total marks an 18.6 percent year-on-year increase, extending growth for a second consecutive year and representing the first time African exports have surpassed one million tons.
The ICO said the surge was driven by strong harvests in major producing countries, high global prices, and the release of unusually large inventories.
Ethiopia and Uganda led the expansion, with Ethiopian exports rising 27.3 percent to 442,200 tons and Uganda’s jumping 29.6 percent to 495,600 tons.
Together, the two accounted for nearly 80 percent of Africa’s shipments, as seen on Ecofin Agency.
The ICO estimates Ethiopia’s 2024/25 harvest at 9.91 million bags and Uganda’s at 7.05 million bags, contributing to a 7.6 percent rise in overall African output to 22.78 million bags.
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On global markets, ICE data shows New York arabica prices climbed 51 percent year-on-year, closing at $8.26 per kilogram on September 30, 2025, up from $5.48 per kilogram on October 1, 2024.
Africa’s performance contrasted with the global picture, as worldwide coffee shipments slipped 0.3 percent to 139.01 million bags in 2024/2025, with the decline attributed mainly to reduced exports from South America.
Although Africa currently accounts for just 11.6 percent of global coffee exports, producers are aiming to grow that share.
At the 3rd African Coffee G25 Summit in Dar es Salaam in February, countries pledged to lift the continent’s share to 20 percent of global production by 2030, up from about 11 percent today.
National efforts include Tanzania launching a plan in April 2025 to quadruple output by 2030, and Kenya announcing in October 2025 the digitization of coffee auctions as part of a program to triple production over the next three years.
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Image Credit: Nature News
