Caffeine Consumption Among Youth Ages 2–19: United States, August 2021–August 2023

NCHS Data Brief No. 566, July 2026

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Natalie A.E. Young, Ph.D., and Amy M. Branum, Ph.D.

Introduction

Caffeinated products are increasingly available to youth (1). Guidelines for safe levels of caffeine intake are based on adults and have not been established through research including children (1). Caffeine consumption may disrupt sleep (2), and many caffeinated products consumed by youth contain high levels of added sugar, which may increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cavities (1,3,4). This report provides estimates of the percentage of youth ages 2-19 who consumed caffeine on a given day during August 2021-August 2023, by age group, sex, and race and Hispanic origin. Top sources of caffeine, places of consumption, and where caffeine was obtained are also presented.

Percentage of youth consuming caffeine

• During August 2021-August 2023, 62.6% of youth ages 2-19 consumed caffeine on a given day (Figure 1, Table 1).
• A lower percentage of children ages 2-5 consumed caffeine on a given day (50.0%) compared with youth ages 6-11 (66.2%) and 12-19 (65.5%).
• The percentage of youth consuming caffeine was similar for boys and girls.
• A higher percentage of White non-Hispanic (subsequently, White) youth consumed caffeine on a given day (68.6%) compared with Hispanic (60.7%) and Black non-Hispanic (subsequently, Black) (44.7%) youth.

Mean caffeine intake

• Youth ages 2-19 consumed an average of 19.4 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day (Figure 2, Table 2).
• Caffeine intake increased with age, from an average daily intake of 5.0 mg among children ages 2-5 to 30.7 mg among adolescents ages 12-19.

Top sources of caffeine

• The top sources of caffeine consumed by youth varied by age group (Figure 3, Table 3).
• For children ages 2-11, sweet bakery products were the top sources of caffeine (28.1% of total caffeine intake), followed by flavored milk (17.4%), candy (16.3%), soda (11.7%), and tea (9.6%).
• Among youth ages 12-19, soda (20.3%) and sweet bakery products (19.1%) were the top sources of caffeine, followed by tea (14.6%), coffee (14.0%), and candy (10.7%).

Place of consumption and where caffeine was obtained

• On average, most caffeinated products were consumed at home (67.8%) (Figure 4, Table 4).
• Most caffeine consumed by youth came from grocery stores (65.6%), followed by fast-food restaurants (10.0%), school cafeterias or day care centers (7.2%), convenience stores or vending machines (5.7%), and someone else or as a gift (5.5%).

Summary

During August 2021-August 2023, 62.6% of youth consumed caffeine on a given day. Caffeine intake was more common among White youth compared with Hispanic and Black youth. Mean caffeine intake increased with age, from 5.0 mg among children ages 2-5 to 30.7 mg among adolescents ages 12-19 (similar to the caffeine content of a 12-ounce can of soda) (5). Sweet bakery products were among the top two sources of caffeine consumed by youth on a given day, ranking first for children ages 2-11 and second (after soda) for adolescents ages 12-19. Youth consumed most caffeine at home, and most caffeine came from food or beverages purchased at a grocery store.

Definitions

Caffeine consumption: Based on Day 1 dietary recall. Caffeine intake is available for each food and beverage item that respondents reported consuming during their 24-hour dietary recall. Any caffeine consumption is defined as consuming 1 mg of caffeine or more from any source (food or beverage). Total caffeine intake is defined as the milligrams of caffeine consumed on a given day by a person. Mean caffeine intake is calculated by dividing the total caffeine intake in the subpopulation of interest by the total number of individuals in that subpopulation and applying survey weights to get a weighted estimate. Differences in mean caffeine intake by age may be partly due to age differences in caloric intake. When adjusted to account for differences in caloric intake by standardizing to a 2,000 kcal diet, adjusted mean caffeine intake was 21.6 mg for all youth ages 2-19, 7.0 mg for ages 2-5, 13.2 mg for ages 6-11, and 33.8 for ages 12-19. Because age group differences in mean caffeine intake were consistent in direction and statistical significance regardless of whether estimates were adjusted for caloric intake, the current report presents unadjusted estimates.

Food and beverage categories: Foods and beverages were grouped using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "What We Eat in America Food Categories" (6). Coffee includes all varieties of coffee. Tea includes all varieties of tea. Soda includes both sweetened and diet soft drinks. Energy drinks include both sweetened and diet energy drinks. Flavored milk includes flavored varieties of dairy milk, such as chocolate milk, and other dairy drinks. Sweet bakery products include cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries. Candy includes candy containing chocolate and candy not containing chocolate. The percentage of caffeine from a food and beverage category is computed as the caffeine from that specific food or beverage category, divided by the total caffeine reported by a respondent on a given day, multiplied by 100.

Place of consumption: For each food and beverage item reported during the 24-hour dietary recall, the respondent is also asked if they consumed the product at home. This question was used to create a measure of the place of caffeine consumption, with the categories of "at home" and "not at home." Percentage of caffeine by place of consumption is computed as the caffeine consumed at home (or not at home), divided by the total caffeine reported by a respondent on a given day, multiplied by 100.

Where caffeine was obtained: For each food and beverage item reported during the 24-hour dietary recall, the respondent is also asked where they obtained the item. Percentage of caffeine by where it was obtained is computed as the caffeine consumed from a particular place or source (such as purchased in a grocery store or received from someone else or as a gift), divided by the total caffeine reported by a respondent on a given day, multiplied by 100.

Race and Hispanic origin: Youth categorized as Hispanic may be of any race or combination of races. Non-Hispanic youth categorized as Black or White indicated one race only. Estimates for non-Hispanic youth of races other than Black and White are not shown but are included in total estimates.

Data source and methods

Data from the August 2021-August 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to produce estimates of caffeine consumption among U.S. youth. NHANES is a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. The sample is selected through a complex, multistage probability design. NHANES consists of home interviews followed by standardized health examinations conducted in mobile examination centers (MECs) and two 24-hour dietary recall interviews (7). During August 2021-August 2023, dietary interviews were completed by phone after the MEC examination instead of in person at the MEC as in previous cycles. More details and analyses of this change are available in a brief report (8).

This report uses the August 2021-August 2023 NHANES Day 1 dietary recall, which was collected using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's automated multiple pass method. For children ages 2-5, the recall was provided by a proxy, while children ages 6-11 were asked to self-report with the assistance of an adult. Adolescents ages 12-19 provided self-reported data, with a proxy assisting only if necessary (9).

All NHANES participants ages 2-19 who had reliable dietary recall data from the Day 1 interview were included in this analysis. Analyses were conducted using R version 4.4.0. Point estimates and standard errors were calculated using the survey and surveytable packages in R to account for NHANES's design. Day 1 dietary sample weights, which accounted for the day of the week and differential probabilities of selection, nonresponse, and noncoverage, were used to produce all estimates. Differences between pairs of estimates were evaluated using two-sided t tests at the 0.05 level. All proportion estimates meet National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions (10).

About the authors

Natalie A.E. Young is with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Analysis and Epidemiology. Amy M. Branum is with the National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Science.

References

1. Temple JL. Review: Trends, safety, and recommendations for caffeine use in children and adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019 Jan;58(1):36-45.
2. Clark I, Landolt HP. Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2017 Feb;31:70-8.
3. Fidler Mis N, Braegger C, Bronsky J, Campoy C, Domellöf M, Embleton ND, et al. Sugar in infants, children and adolescents: A position paper of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017 Dec;65(6):681-96.
4. Malik VS, Pan A, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Oct;98(4):1084-102.
5. Agricultural Research Service. What's in the foods you eat search tool, 2021-2023. Available from: https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/food-surveys-research-group/docs/whats-in-the-foods-you-eat-search-tool/.
6. Agricultural Research Service. What we eat in America food categories: 2021-2023. 2024 Nov. Available from: https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/2123/Food_Category_List_2021-2023.pdf.
7. Terry AL, Chiappa MM, McAllister J, Woodwell DA, Graber JE. Plan and operations of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, August 2021-August 2023. Vital Health Stat 1. 2024 May;(66):1-21. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/151927.
8. Williams AM, Terry A, Akinbami LJ, Ansai N, Ogden CL. What we eat in America dietary data, NHANES: August 2021-August 2023 24-hour dietary recall interview mode change. 2025. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/Nhanes/Public/2021/Whitepapers/Aug2023-What-We-Eat-In-America-Dietary-Data-Whitepaper.pdf.
9. National Center for Health Statistics. 2021 dietary interviewer procedures manual: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 2021 May. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/public/2021/manuals/2021-Dietary-Interviewer-Procedures-508.pdf.
10. Parker JD, Talih M, Malec DJ, Beresovsky V, Carroll M, Gonzalez JF Jr, et al. National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions. Vital Health Stat 2. 2017 Aug;(175):1-22. PMID: 30248016.

Suggested citation

Young NAE, Branum AM. Caffeine consumption among youth ages 2-19: United States, August 2021-August 2023. NCHS Data Brief. 2026 Jul;(566):1─11. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252460.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health Statistics

Carolyn M. Greene, M.D., Acting Director
Amy M. Branum, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science

Division of Analysis and Epidemiology

Irma E. Arispe, Ph.D., Director
Kimberly A. Lochner, Sc.D., Associate Director for Science