Short answer
The Coca-Cola Company had approximately 65,900 employees on December 31, 2025, according to its 2025 Form 10-K, filed February 20, 2026, of whom about 8,900 were in the United States. That is its latest reported headcount, down from 69,700 a year earlier because of 2025 divestitures. The figure excludes the independent bottling partners that make and distribute most Coca-Cola drinks. Headcount peaked at about 86,200 in 2019, after Coca-Cola bought Costa.
- Latest figure: about 65,900 employees on December 31, 2025, of whom about 8,900 were in the US (2025 10-K).
- Independent bottlers aren't in the count; concentrate operations, which sell to bottlers, are 85% of unit case volume.
- Headcount jumped to 86,200 in 2019 with the Costa acquisition, then fell as Coca-Cola refranchised bottlers in Asia and sold operations in Africa.
- The US count has fallen from 11,400 (2018) to 8,900 (2025).
- Revenue per employee was about $727,500 in 2025 (our calculation from the 10-K).
On this page
This page is for sellers, analysts and job seekers who need a Coca-Cola headcount they can cite, and need to know what it covers. The Coca-Cola Company reports one figure a year, as of December 31, in the Human Capital Management section of its 10-K, with a US count and a one-line reason for the change. Every number below comes from those filings, with its date.
Coca-Cola employees by year
| Year end | Employees | Change on prior year | In the US | Reason the 10-K gives | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 65,900 | -3,800 (-5.5%) | 8,900 | "2025 divestiture activity" | 2025 10-K, filed February 20, 2026 |
| December 31, 2024 | 69,700 | -9,400 (-11.9%) | 8,900 | "2024 refranchising activity" | 2024 10-K, filed February 20, 2025 |
| December 31, 2023 | 79,100 | -3,400 (-4.1%) | 9,000 | "2023 refranchising activity" | 2023 10-K, filed February 20, 2024 |
| December 31, 2022 | 82,500 | +3,500 (+4.4%) | 9,000 | Costa store openings and staffing, partly offset by refranchising in Cambodia | 2022 10-K, filed February 21, 2023 |
| December 31, 2021 | 79,000 | -1,300 (-1.6%) | 9,400 | Not stated | 2021 10-K, filed February 22, 2022 |
| December 31, 2020 | 80,300 | -5,900 (-6.8%) | 9,300 | Strategic realignment and the pandemic's effect on Costa stores, partly offset by buying fairlife | 2020 10-K, filed February 25, 2021 |
| December 31, 2019 | 86,200 | +23,600 (+37.7%) | 10,100 | "the acquisition of Costa Limited" | 2019 10-K, filed February 24, 2020 |
| December 31, 2018 | 62,600 | 11,400 | 2018 10-K, filed February 21, 2019 |
All figures are "approximately", rounded to the nearest hundred. The changes are our arithmetic.
What the number includes
The 2025 10-K says: "As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, our Company had approximately 65,900 and 69,700 employees, respectively, of which approximately 8,900 were located in the United States."
- The Company and its subsidiaries. That covers the concentrate business, the bottlers Coca-Cola owns (its Bottling Investments segment), and businesses such as Costa, fairlife and BodyArmor.
- Not the bottling system. Most Coca-Cola drinks are made and delivered by independent bottling partners, who are separate companies with their own employees. In 2025, concentrate operations, which sell concentrates and syrups to those bottlers, accounted for 59% of net operating revenues and 85% of worldwide unit case volume. The people who bottle and deliver that 85% mostly work for the bottlers, so they aren't in the 65,900.
- A second, narrower US figure. Some 10-Ks also give a US count that leaves out certain subsidiaries for diversity reporting. The 2023 10-K, for example, gave "approximately 7,600 employees located in the United States, excluding the employees of the Global Ventures operating segment; fairlife; and BA Sports Nutrition, LLC". Use the 8,900 for a total; the narrower figure answers a different question.
- Few union contracts in North America. About 400 North American employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements at the end of 2025.
What changed and why
2019: buying Costa
Headcount rose by 23,600 in one year, which the 2019 10-K attributes "primarily" to the acquisition of Costa Limited, the coffee chain. Costa runs retail stores, and the 2022 10-K credits Costa again for that year's rise: new stores, and existing stores "requiring additional staff to meet increased demand."
2023 to 2025: selling bottlers
Coca-Cola has been handing company-owned bottling operations to independent bottlers, a process it calls refranchising. The 10-Ks name the deals behind the falls:
- 2023: bottling operations in Vietnam (January 2023), after Cambodia in November 2022.
- 2024: bottling operations in certain territories in India (January, February and December), and in Bangladesh and the Philippines (February). Headcount fell by 9,400 that year.
- 2025: more Indian territories (May) and the finished product operations in Nigeria (October). The company also sold part of its stake in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and its stake in Coke Consolidated, though as equity investments those don't affect headcount.
In a refranchising the bottling operation passes to the buyer, generally with its workforce, so these falls are a change of employer rather than a round of layoffs.
Revenue per employee
Coca-Cola's 2025 net operating revenues were $47.9 billion. $47,941 million ÷ 65,900 = about $727,500 per employee (our calculation). In 2024 it was about $675,200 ($47,061 million ÷ 69,700). It rises as the company sells bottling operations, which the 10-K says generate "higher net operating revenues but lower gross profit margins" than concentrate operations and which carry large workforces: the 2024 refranchisings alone coincided with a fall of 9,400 employees.
| 2025 third-party revenue by segment | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| North America | $19.6 billion | 40.8% |
| Europe, Middle East and Africa | $10.8 billion | 22.6% |
| Latin America | $6.3 billion | 13.2% |
| Bottling Investments | $5.7 billion | 11.9% |
| Asia Pacific | $5.3 billion | 11.1% |
| Corporate | $0.1 billion | 0.3% |
Coca-Cola doesn't report employees by segment. North America brings in 41% of revenue with about 8,900 US employees, about 14% of the workforce, which shows how much of the headcount sits in owned bottlers and businesses abroad.
Selling to a company this size
General guidance on how a global consumer brand of this size buys, not a description of Coca-Cola's internal processes.
- Decide which Coca-Cola you mean. The Coca-Cola Company, its owned bottlers and the independent bottlers are different buyers. Supply chain and route-to-market tools usually sell to bottlers; brand, marketing and data tools usually sell to the Company.
- Expect regional autonomy. A company organized into regional operating segments gives those regions real decisions. A pilot in one region is a normal way in.
- Follow the portfolio changes. Refranchising and divestitures change who owns a plant or a market. Check who owns the operation before you prospect it.
- Prepare for a formal supplier process. At this size, expect supplier registration, security and compliance review, and sustainability questions before a contract.
Working out which company in a system like this owns the decision is most of the research. Bebop researches each account and suggests who to talk to and the angle to open with; check its findings against the filings. For a manual method, see how to find decision makers.
How to check Coca-Cola's headcount yourself
- Open Coca-Cola's 10-K filings on SEC EDGAR and pick the latest one, filed each February.
- In Item 1, Business, find Human Capital Management. The total, the US count and the reason for the change are in one paragraph.
- Check whether you need the Company's own employees or the wider bottling system. Bottlers that file with the SEC report their own headcount: Coca-Cola Consolidated, for example, reported approximately 17,000 employees at December 31, 2025 in its own 10-K.
Next step: see Coca-Cola's peers in the largest food companies.
Sources
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 20 February 2026
- Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 18 February 2026
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 20 February 2025
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 20 February 2024
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 21 February 2023
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 22 February 2022
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 25 February 2021
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 24 February 2020
- The Coca-Cola Company Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, The Coca-Cola Company, via SEC EDGAR, 21 February 2019
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many employees does Coca-Cola have in 2026?
The Coca-Cola Company's latest reported figure is approximately 65,900 employees on December 31, 2025, from its 2025 10-K, filed February 20, 2026. About 8,900 of them work in the United States. The company doesn't report headcount quarterly, so the next figure will be in its 10-K for 2026, which it normally files in February.
Does Coca-Cola's employee count include bottlers?
Only the bottlers Coca-Cola owns, which sit in its Bottling Investments segment. Independent bottling partners, which make and distribute most Coca-Cola drinks, are separate companies, and their employees aren't in the 65,900. In 2025, concentrate operations, which sell to bottlers, accounted for 85% of Coca-Cola's worldwide unit case volume, so most of the people who make and deliver its drinks work for other companies.
How many Coca-Cola employees are in the United States?
About 8,900 on December 31, 2025, according to the 2025 10-K, the same as a year earlier and down from about 11,400 in 2018. Some 10-Ks also give a narrower US figure that excludes certain subsidiaries such as fairlife and BodyArmor for diversity reporting, for example about 7,600 in 2023, so check which figure a source is quoting.
Why has Coca-Cola's employee count fallen?
Mostly because it has sold company-owned bottling operations to independent bottlers. Its 10-Ks attribute the falls in 2023 and 2024 to refranchising, including operations in Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, and the 2025 fall to divestitures, including more Indian territories and its Nigerian finished product operations. Those workforces moved to the buyers rather than being laid off.
What is Coca-Cola's revenue per employee?
About $727,500 in 2025, by our calculation: $47,941 million of net operating revenues divided by about 65,900 employees at December 31, 2025, both from the 2025 10-K. In 2024 it was about $675,200. It has risen as the company sold bottling operations, with their large workforces, while keeping the concentrate business that supplies them.