How Much Caffeine In Green Coffee Beans?

Last Updated on 09 Aug 2026 by Pippo Ardilles

How much caffeine is in green coffee beans depends almost entirely on one thing: the species. By dry weight, arabica runs about 1.2 to 1.5 percent caffeine, while robusta carries roughly double, around 2.2 to 2.7 percent. And contrary to a common myth, roasting barely changes it, so a green bean and its roasted version hold nearly the same caffeine. Here is the full breakdown by type, and what it means when you source.

Caffeine by Green Coffee Bean Type

The quickest way to answer the question is to line up the four commercial types side by side:

Green bean type	Caffeine (% dry weight)	Per green bean (approx.)	Notes for buyers
Arabica	1.2–1.5%	~1.9 mg	Balanced, smoother; specialty base
Robusta	2.2–2.7%	~2.9 mg	~2x arabica; body, crema, high-caffeine blends
Liberica	~1.0–1.3%	lower	Large beans, unique profile, lower caffeine
Excelsa	~1.0–1.3%	lower	A Liberica type; tart, fruity, used for blending

In short, robusta is the caffeine heavyweight, arabica sits at roughly half, and liberica and excelsa land at the lower end. Within arabica there is a little spread too, some origins and varieties push toward 1.7 percent, but the species gap dwarfs those differences.

Why Robusta Packs Roughly Double the Caffeine

The gap is not random. Caffeine is the coffee plant’s natural pest defense, and robusta grows at low, warm elevations where pests are relentless, so it evolved to load its beans with far more of it. Arabica grows higher and cooler, where it needs less. A peer-reviewed analysis of green coffee measured this directly, finding markedly higher caffeine in green robusta than in green arabica. That single biological fact is why robusta tastes more bitter, resists pests better, and anchors so many high-strength blends.

Does Roasting Change the Caffeine?

This is where most people get it wrong. Caffeine is remarkably heat-stable, so roasting does not burn it off in any meaningful way. A green bean and the roasted bean it becomes carry almost the same amount of caffeine each. The only wrinkle is measurement by weight: because beans lose moisture and mass as they roast, a darker roast can read very slightly higher caffeine per gram, simply because each gram contains more bean. Bean for bean, though, green and roasted are effectively the same. So the idea that green coffee is somehow low-caffeine is a myth.

What the Numbers Mean When You’re Sourcing

For a buyer, caffeine content is a practical lever, not just trivia. If you are building a high-strength blend, an espresso base that needs body and crema, or an instant line, robusta gives you the caffeine and the punch at a lower cost. If you want a cleaner, more complex, lower-caffeine cup, arabica is the base. Liberica and excelsa sit lower on caffeine and are usually chosen for their unusual flavor rather than their strength. Knowing the numbers lets you dial the caffeine of a finished product on purpose, by choosing the species and blend ratio deliberately.

Common Questions

Do green beans have less caffeine than roasted? No. That is a myth. Caffeine survives roasting almost intact, so green and roasted beans carry nearly the same amount each.

Which green coffee bean has the most caffeine? Robusta, at 2.2 to 2.7 percent by dry weight, roughly double arabica.

Does origin change the caffeine? A little. Variety, altitude, and soil shift arabica within its 1.2 to 1.5 percent range, but species is by far the biggest factor.

Indonesia lets you source across the caffeine spectrum from one origin: high-caffeine Lampung robusta, balanced Sumatran and Java arabica, and even liberica and excelsa. Buying direct lets you match the species and blend to the exact strength your product needs, cup a sample first, and receive proper documentation. FnB Coffee supplies arabica, robusta, and specialty green coffee with grade transparency, cupping, flexible MOQ, and wholesale pricing.