Why China Grows Tea But Turkey Drinks It

While many associate tea with China or Britain, the country that drinks the most tea per person is actually Turkey, consuming an average of 3.16 kilograms annually. This figure highlights a significant disconnect between the world's largest tea growers and its most avid drinkers, revealing unexpected global consumption and production patterns.

Global Leaders in Tea Consumption

When measured by per-capita consumption, Turkey stands alone at the top of the world's tea rankings. Each person in Turkey consumes 3.16 kilograms of tea every year, equivalent to nearly four glasses daily. This makes Turkey's tea habit profoundly different from other nations.

Following Turkey, Ireland ranks second with 2.19 kilograms per person, and the United Kingdom comes in third at 1.94 kilograms. These are the only two countries that approach Turkey's consumption levels. Pakistan and Iran share the fifth spot, each consuming 1.50 kilograms per person annually.

The contrast with major tea-producing nations is stark:

• China: The world's largest tea producer, ranks 22nd in per-person consumption at just 0.57 kilograms a year.
• India: Ranks 30th with 0.33 kilograms, despite having one of the largest tea-drinking populations in absolute terms.
• United States: Trails significantly at 0.23 kilograms.
• Italy: Barely registers at 0.14 kilograms, reflecting its coffee-centric culture.

This data highlights that a country's tea production volume and its citizens' per-capita consumption are largely unrelated.

The World's Top Tea Producers

While Turkey leads in consumption, the landscape of tea production is dominated by different players. China is by far the largest tea producer globally, accounting for nearly 53% of the entire world's supply.

In 2024, China produced 3.74 million metric tonnes of tea. India followed with 1.28 million tonnes, and together, these two countries are responsible for 78% of global production. Kenya ranks third worldwide, with Turkey and Sri Lanka rounding out the top five producers.

Despite China's enormous harvest, approximately 88% of it is consumed domestically. However, due to its vast population of 1.35 billion, this still results in a relatively modest per-person consumption figure.

Britain's Evolving Relationship with Tea

The United Kingdom, historically synonymous with tea, has seen a significant shift in its national drinking habits. In 1974, the average person in Britain purchased 68 grams of tea per week. By 2015, this figure had plummeted to just 22 grams, a reduction of roughly two-thirds.

Coffee officially surpassed tea in weekly household purchases in Britain in 2015 and has maintained its lead ever since. By 2023, only 59% of Britons reported regularly drinking tea, while 63% stated they regularly consumed coffee. This marked the first time coffee had led in such a survey.

This decline is particularly pronounced among younger generations. Tea consumption among Britons in their 20s and 30s is dramatically lower than among those over 55, suggesting that the trend of decreasing tea consumption is likely to continue.

Emerging Trends: Matcha Demand and Export Dynamics

Globally, tea remains the second most-consumed drink after water, with production growing from under 1 million tonnes in 1961 to over 7 million tonnes today—a sevenfold increase. For more than half the world's population, tea is a daily ritual.

While black tea's popularity has waned in some regions, Japanese green tea, particularly matcha, has experienced an explosion in demand. Japan's green tea exports rose by 16% in volume in 2024. Tencha, the shaded leaf used to make matcha, saw its auction price surge by 170% in May 2025, reaching 8,235 yen per kilogram.

Despite Japanese matcha production nearly tripling between 2010 and 2023, over half of it is now exported, leaving less for the domestic market. This surge in global demand has strained a fragile supply chain:

• Between 2000 and 2020, four out of five Japanese tea farmers ceased growing tea.
• Newly planted tencha bushes require five years to reach full production.
• The rapid increase in demand, partly fueled by social media, outpaces the industry's ability to expand supply quickly.

Meanwhile, Kenya has quietly become the world's largest tea exporter by volume. In 2024, Kenya exported 594,500 tonnes of tea, generating approximately $1.35 billion in revenue. This export volume is greater than Kenya's total production a decade prior, underscoring its export-oriented tea industry. Kenya ranks third globally in production, behind China and India, and ahead of Sri Lanka and Turkey.

This article provides general information and statistics on global tea consumption and production and is not intended as financial, legal, or tax advice.

This article is general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Consult a licensed professional in your jurisdiction before acting on residency, incorporation, or tax topics.