Yes, you read the title correctly. According to the Ten Peaks Coffee 2018 Q1 report, the decaf coffee market continues to expand and the rate of growth in the decaf coffee market is growing year over year, now outpacing the growth of the US coffee market as a whole.
According to the 2017 National Coffee Association (NCA) report, decaf consumption in the US is led by 18-24-year-olds (19%). And while 25-39-year-olds fell into third place this year, in 2016 they led the trend at 20%. As well, the National Coffee Association's NCDT report states that between 2016 and 2018, decaf cups per person, per day, grew by 26%.
People hear the term millennials and automatically think of young kids, but today millennials are aged 20-37. They lead gourmet coffee consumption and out of home dining (Dataessential/The Food Institute). By 2025, they will make up 75% of the worlds workforce and be as old as their mid 40's.
There are many reasons why millennials are turning to decaf. Their view of health is changing, as reported by Goldman Sachs, millennials definition of healthy does not only mean "not sick", it is a daily pursuit for wellness. But among 18-24 year olds, caffeine is the number one reason to limit coffee consumption, as per the NCA data.
Sure sounds like they are onto something.