WATER FOOTPRINT / ONE CUP
A cup of coffee asks for 140 litres
The cup holds 125 millilitres. Behind it sits a global average of about 140 litres of freshwater associated with producing the coffee.
A SCALE THAT IS EASY TO MISS
1,120 cups of water for one cup of coffee
The ratio is simple: 140 litres divided by 125 millilitres equals 1,120. The volume in the cup is small; the volume associated with growing and producing coffee stretches far beyond it.
Calculation for the standard coffee in the Water Footprint Network table.
PLAY WITH THE SCALE
Build your coffee
Choose the strength of the recipe and the number of cups. The tank shows the water associated with the coffee; the cup at the bottom keeps the volume you drink in view.
of the same recipe
For 1 cup of standard coffee: 140 litres in the water footprint; 125 millilitres reach the cup.
THE SAME LITRES, OTHER CUPS
Where does coffee sit?
These portions come from the same source. Beer and tea look close to coffee by serving size; the scale of associated water separates them.
| Serving | Size | Scale | litres / serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| milk | 200 ml | 200 L | |
| standard coffee | 125 ml | 140 L | |
| an egg | 40 g | 135 L | |
| wine | 125 ml | 120 L | |
| beer | 250 ml | 75 L | |
| a slice of bread | 30 g | 40 L | |
| tea | 250 ml | 35 L |
WHAT IS INSIDE THE 140 LITRES
The water arrives before the boil
Most of the water footprint is connected to growing the plant. Beans, processing and brewing are the visible links in a journey that starts in the soil.
water for growth
drying and transport
125 ml served
HOW TO READ THE NUMBER
A global average, not a kitchen meter
The roughly 140 litres represent the estimated global-average water footprint of a 125-millilitre coffee made with 7 grams of ground coffee. The figure follows the freshwater associated with producing coffee and includes green, blue and grey water in the source definition.
Growing region, climate, irrigation, yield and recipe change the result. A tap can measure 125 ml; this figure describes the water associated with the journey to the cup.
SOURCE OF THE NUMBERS
Water Footprint Network
Recipe values come from table 6.1 of The Water Footprint of Coffee and Tea. Serving comparisons come from table 4.2 of The Water Footprint Assessment Manual.
Reports published in 2007 and 2011 · accessed 21 August 2026
125 ml in the cup. About 140 L in the water footprint.