
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.
If you want me to do your marketing for you, click here.
Tea Industry Statistics
General tea facts and statistics:
- Pure tea has a shelf life of 6-12 months
- Tea with preservatives has an average shelf life of 12-36 months
- 7.5% of people drink tea because of its health benefits
- The biggest players in the tea industry by revenue are:
- Jde Peet's N.V (USD 7,782 million revenue)
- Tata Consumer Products Limited (USD 1,248 million revenue)
- ITO EN (USD 4,399 million revenue)
- Taiwan Tea Corporation (USD 504 million revenue)
- Unilever (USD $ 588.09 million revenue)
Tea drinkers demographics
- 53% of tea drinkers are women; 47% are men
- Most tea drinkers are between the ages of 30–39
- 14% of tea drinkers are 20 or under
- 19% of tea drinkers are 20-29
- 23% of tea drinkers are 30-39
- 13% of tea drinkers are 40-49
- 13% of tea drinkers are 50-59
- 18% of tea drinkers are 60+

See how I can help your tea or coffee business sell more products.
- Strategy: Get a clear direction with insightful marketing and branding strategies.
- SEO: Get colossal amounts of SEO traffic. See actual results.
- Content Marketing: I create epic content that gets you traffic, shares, and links.
- Paid Media: effective paid advertising with clear ROI.
Global tea production statistics:
- About 6.7 million metric tons of tea was produced globally in 2020.
- There are over 1,000 varieties of tea, most commonly classified as white, green, oolong, and black.
- Global black tea production is expected to increase by 2.2% annually, to hit 4.4 million tons by 2025.
- Global green tea production is expected to increase by 7.1% annually, to hit 1.27 million tons by 2025.
- World tea exports hit 1.94 million tons in 2020, a 4.3% increase from 2019.
- China is the biggest tea producer globally, producing 2 million tons of tea annually.
- China, India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya account for 75% of global tea production.
- China is the only country to produce all six types of tea.
- Kenya is the biggest exporter of black tea. In 2020, Kenya exported 575,300 tons of black tea.
- Of the 100,000 metric tons of tea produced in Japan, over 95% is green.
- Only 3% of tea produced in Japan is exported; the country exports around 5,108 tons of tea annually.
- Sri Lanka exports 265,569 million tons of tea annually, 95% of which is black.
- Taiwan produces 5,632 tons of oolong tea annually, representing 37.6% of its total tea production.
- Less than 1% of tea produced globally is organic.
- China is the biggest producer of organic tea globally; they produce 4000 tons of organic tea annually.
- 67% of tea produced globally is made into tea bags.
- 15% of tea produced globally is made into iced tea.
- 18.% of tea produced globally is sold as loose leaf tea.
China’s Tea Production Statistics
- China has produced tea since approximately 2737 BC.
- In 2020, China produced 2.97 million metric tons of tea, 43% of the global tea supply.
- Of the 2.97 million metric tons of tea China produced in 2020:
- 24,354 metric tons (0.82%) was white
- 1.77 million metric tons (63.14%) was green
- 326,700 metric tons (11.37%) was oolong
- 8,900 metric tons (0.3%) was yellow
- 336,501 metric tons (11.33%) was black
- 378,000 metric tons (13.04%) was dark (Pu’er)
- 71% (2.1 million tons) of China’s total tea production was consumed domestically.
- China earned 78.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenue from tea exports (4.9% of China’s 2020 GDP).
- China accounts for a staggering 40% of global tea revenue in 2020, totaling 78.7 billion U.S. dollars.
- One of the most expensive teas in China is called Panda Dung Tea, it comes from Ya’An in Sichuan. Panda Dung Tea sells for $200 per cup and is fertilized with panda manure.
- China produces ten world-famous teas.
- In 2020 China produced 2.97 million metric tons of world-famous tea.
Tea Consumption
Global Tea Consumption Statistics
- The global tea market is valued at US$ 21 billion.
- Tea is the second most consumed beverage globally, after water.
- 29% of people drink tea each day.
- The average person drinks 1.8 cups of tea per day.
- The average person spends USD 5,000 on tea each year.
- The global annual tea consumption was 273 billion liters, in 2020.
Which Country Drinks The Most Tea?
Turkey consumes the most tea annually. A typical Turk consumes an average of 5 cups of tea per day, amounting to 1300 cups of tea per year. The tea market in Turkey was worth US$5549.5m in 2020.
Tea Consumption by Country
Ranking |
Country |
Cups Per Person/year |
Cups of Tea Consumed Annually In The Country |
1 |
Turkey |
1580 cups |
2.718 billion cups |
2 |
Egypt |
1550 cups |
3 billion cups |
3 |
Russia |
1200 cups |
162 billion cups |
4 |
New Zealand |
1200 cups |
3.1 billion cups |
5 |
Ireland |
1095 cups |
5.183 billion cups |
6 |
Japan |
1000 cups |
162 billion cups |
7 |
Poland |
900 cups |
1.7 billion cups |
8 |
United Kingdom |
750 cups |
36 billion cups |
9 |
Iran |
650 cups |
55.575 billion cups |
10 |
Morocco |
610 cups |
22.7 billion cups |
Tea Consumption in America
- The U.S. continues as the 2nd largest importer of tea in the world after Pakistan.
- On any given day, over 159 million Americans are drinking tea; that’s 48% of the population.
- 80% of tea consumed in America is consumed at home; 20% is consumed out of the home.
- Most American tea consumers buy their tea at Supermarkets. 29% buy it at hypermarkets and online retail stores.
- About 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, and 15% was green. The remaining 1% was oolong, white and dark tea.
- In 2020, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea or more than 3.8 billion gallons. The average number of cups of tea per day per person in America is 7.
- America’s South and Northeast regions have the greatest concentration of tea drinkers.
- 75 - 80% of all tea consumed in America is iced tea.
- The average American drinks 420 liters, or 110 gallons, of iced tea annually.
- Lipton, Arizona, and Dean’s are the three biggest iced tea brands in America. Together they account for 27% of the market.
- RTD tea segment represented about 24% of the total market share in 2020.
- Specialty tea (e.g., loose leaf tea) represents 36% of the total tea market.
- Sparkling tea represents 7% of the total tea market.
Tea Consumption in India Statistics
- Tea is native to India; it was used as early as the 12th century for cooking. In this era, tea was consumed as a medicine, with lemon and spices.
- British colonialists implemented a highly successful marketing campaign in 1903, to boost India’s domestic tea consumption. As a result of their efforts, tea became more popular in India.
- India consumed approximately one billion kilograms of tea during 2020.
- 90% of tea consumed in India is black tea (1,116,000 tons).
- The average Indian drinks 7-8 cups of masala chai a day.
- Indian masala chai recipes vary by region and household. Typically masala chai is made with crushed ginger, crushed cardamom, lemongrass, cloves, and cinnamon.
- The RTD tea segment represented about 12% of India’s total tea market in 2020.
- Most of the tea consumed in India’s domestic market is produced in Assam. Whereas 36% of tea produced in India’s Darjeeling area is exported.
- The biggest tea brand in India is Tata Tea, with 30% of the total market share.
- Leading tea brands in India include Tata Tea, HUL Tea Brands, and Wagh Bakri.
- Tata Tea - USD 1,300,000,000 annual revenue and 30% market share.
- HUL Tea Brands - USD 3,471,493,810 annual revenue and 27% market share.
- Wagh Bakri - USD 2,016,718 annual revenue and 8% market share.
- Most Indian tea consumers buy their tea at convenience stores. 40% buy it at supermarkets or hypermarkets.
Tea Industry Statistics
Sri Lanka Tea Industry Statistics
- Sri Lanka produces 303,840 tonnes of tea annually. 11.8% is consumed in Sri Lanka’s domestic market and 88.2% of Ceylon tea is exported.
- Sri Lanka exports 24.17 million kgs of Ceylon tea, contributing 2% to the nation’s GDP.
- Iraq is the main buyer of Ceylon tea; the second-largest buyer of Ceylon tea is Turkey.
- A tea made of Sri Lankan tea tips, called Golden Tips rings in at $200 per gram, approximately 4x the cost of gold.
- There are seven main tea growing regions in Sri Lanka:
- Nuwara Eliya,
- Dimbula,
- Uva
- Uda Pussallawa,
- Kandy
- Ruhuna
- Sabaragamuwa
- Nuwara Eliya is often singled out as producing the highest quality Ceylon tea.
- Dunkeld Estate is the largest tea estate in Sri Lanka. It’s 220 hectares (550 acres) large and produces, on average, 350,000kgs of Ceylon tea annually.
- 87% of Ceylon tea is black.
- Ceylon tea has a geographical indication (GI), which means only tea from Sri Lanka can be called Ceylon tea.
UK Tea Industry Statistics
- A British person consumes on average 265 liters of tea per year, spending approximately £12,500 or US$16,816 in their lifetime.
- COVID-19 had a negative impact on tea consumption in Britain.
- The UK Tea market was worth £1.5 billion (USD 2 billion) in 2020, down 6.25% from 2019 (£1.6 billion or USD 2.12 billion).
- The leading tea brands in the UK are Tetley, PG Tips, and Typhoo. Together these three companies control 64% market share. Independently their market share is as follows:
- Tetley (27% market share)
- PG tips (24% market share)
- Typhoo (13% market share)
- Black tea is the most popular type of tea in the UK. The black tea segment was worth £295 million (USD 400 million) in 2020.
- Green tea is the fastest-growing segment in the UK. The green tea segment was worth £29.5 million (USD 40 million) in 2020. It’s expected to reach £45 million (USD 60 million) by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.5%.
- The UK has imported 280,000 tons of tea since 2015, averaging 45,000 tons of imported tea per year.
- 52% of Brits cite English Breakfast as their favourite blend, while 23% cite Orange Pekoe, and 22% prefer Earl Grey.
- Most Brits (57%) buy their tea at convenience stores, while 29% prefer to buy it at supermarkets.
- Teabags represent 70% of tea sold in the UK, while loose leaf tea represents 30%.
Tea Industry Statistics Canada
- Canada is the 11th largest importer of tea globally; Canada’s tea market was worth US$1,330.3m in 2020.
- Regular black is the most popular tea in Canada; it’s preferred by 47% of Canadians.
- The daily tea consumption for Canadians averages 2-3 cups of tea per day.
- Canada’s at-home market for tea is worth $1,170.7 million; the nation’s out-of-home tea market is worth $159.6 million.
- Millennials and Gen Z are two significant segments of tea drinkers.
- 39% of Canadian tea drinkers live in an urban setting, while 15% live in rural settings.
- 23% of Canadians are light tea drinkers (1.4 cups a day) while 35 % are heavy tea drinkers (2-4 cups a day).
- 59% of Canadians buy tea from grocery stores, while 12% purchase from specialty tea stores.
- Most tea drinkers in Canada are female (55%) and suburban (46%) female.
Green Tea Consumption Statistics
- Approximately 600,000 tons of green tea are consumed every year in the world.
- The global green tea market is worth USD 13.35 billion.
- Roughly 20% of people drink green tea; 14% of people say they drink green tea for its health benefits.
- China is the largest consumer of green tea; the Chinese consume an average of 6.4 billion cups of green tea per day or 2 billion liters (250 billion gallons) of green tea annually.
- The average Japanese person drinks 2-3 cups of green tea per day or 26 billion liters (8 billion gallons) of green tea annually.
- Japan produces 81,000 tons of green tea annually; 94% of that green tea is consumed within Japan’s domestic market. Only 6% of their green tea is exported.
Ready to Drink Tea Statistics
- The global ready-to-drink (RTD) tea market size was worth USD 10.18 billion in 2020. It’s expected to reach $38.96 billion by 2027.
- RTD tea is positioned to assist in weight loss, reduce headaches, decrease cholesterol levels, and lower the risk of heart attacks.
- The United States has the biggest RTD tea market globally, worth USD $6.7 billion in 2020.
- RTD black tea was the most significant segment of the USA's RTD tea market. RTD black tea was worth $2.3 billion in 2020. Up 3% from $1.7 billion in 2019.
- China drinks 4-5 cups of RTD tea per day, totaling 13,356.0 million liters (2937 million gallons) annually.
- The American RTD tea market was worth USD 10.18 billion in 2020.
- RTD tea in the US has grown 1.1% annually between 2015 and 2020.
- America’s RTD tea market is mature and homogenous with high penetration; it’s dominated by leading players, such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Unilever.
- The black tea segment was the highest contributor to the RTD tea market.
- Most of the black tea used in ice tea comes from Argentina; it’s used because it doesn’t cloud.
- Lipton Pure Leaf was the top-selling RTD tea brand in the United States in 2021.
- RTD green tea is typically more expensive than RTD black tea in America.
- RTD black tea is typically more popular among Americans.
Afternoon Tea Statistics and Facts
Afternoon Tea Statistics
- Some of the most extravagant places to have afternoon tea in London, England include The Ritz, the Savoy, and Fortnum & Masons. The average cost for afternoon tea at these three establishments is £75, or USD 100.
Afternoon Tea Fun Facts
- Afternoon tea began in the 1840s when Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, grew hungry. At the time, there were only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, and dinner was often served at 8:00 pm.
- Afternoon tea is different from cream tea and high tea.
- It’s poor etiquette to raise your pinky finger while drinking your afternoon tea.
- Afternoon tea evolved from two tea drinking customs: “low tea” and “high tea”.
- Low tea was taken by the aristocrats, sitting around low tables eating light snacks (e.g., sandwiches, pastries) around 4:00 pm.
- High tea was customary for the middle class; it was taken at high tables and involved more substantial food (e.g., ham, bread) as the evening meal, taken between 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm.
- British aristocrats took low tea as an opportunity to demonstrate wealth. Inferior quality china tended to crack when exposed to boiling water, while high-quality china did not crack when exposed to boiling water. Adding the water first allowed the upper class to demonstrate to guests they had the highest quality of teaware.
- An afternoon tea menu typically consists of small “finger” sandwiches, cake, and pastries.
- Cream tea is a customary pairing of black tea (e.g., Earl Grey, Afternoon blends) with scones, clotted cream, and jam.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.
If you want me to help you to sell more coffee and tea, book a call.