Decaf has caffeine, just a little: the FDA says decaf coffee typically carries 2 to 15 milligrams per 8-ounce cup, versus roughly 80 to 100 in a regular one.
Mayo Clinic's chart puts brewed decaf at about 1 milligram per cup and decaf espresso at 1 milligram per shot. One or two cups are negligible for most people, but all-day decaf drinking and high caffeine sensitivity change the math. The FDA advises people who react strongly to caffeine to avoid decaffeinated drinks altogether. If you quit caffeine on medical advice, ask specifically whether decaf counts.
What to do
Common questions
Does decaf have caffeine?
Yes, a little. The FDA is explicit that decaffeinated does not mean caffeine-free: decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-fluid-ounce cup, compared with roughly 80 to 100 milligrams in the same size regular coffee. Mayo Clinic's caffeine chart gives similar figures: brewed decaf at about 1 milligram per 8 ounces, and decaf espresso about 1 milligram per shot. So one decaf is negligible for almost everyone, but the numbers add up if you drink it all day or you are highly caffeine-sensitive. The FDA's own advice is that if you react strongly to caffeine in a negative way, you may want to avoid decaffeinated drinks altogether. The same logic applies to decaf tea and to green tea, which is not decaf at all, at about 29 to 37 milligrams a cup. Practical rules: if you are cutting caffeine for sleep, decaf after lunch is fine for most people; if you are cutting it because your doctor told you to, for heart rhythm issues, pregnancy, or anxiety, mention decaf explicitly so you get a real answer about your situation rather than assuming zero means zero.