Tea Industry Statistics

General Tea Facts And Statistics

• There are over 1000 varieties of tea, classified as white, green, oolong, and black.
• more than two billion cups of tea are consumed every day around the world
• Pure tea has a shelf life of 1-2 years
• 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 (7,715 Million USD Revenue)
• Tata Consumer Products Limited (1,518 Million USD Revenue)
• ITO EN (3,533 Million USD Revenue)
• Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (1,765 Million USD Revenue)
• CCL Products (163 Million USD 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+

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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.
• The global tea market is expected to witness a CAGR of 4.5%, during 2020-2025.
• 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 750,981 tonnes by 2023
• World tea exports hit US$7.32 billion in 2021, a 9.4% decrease from 2017.
• China is the biggest tea producer globally, producing around 2.4 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 2022, Kenya exported 45.6 thousand metric tons of 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.
• Taiwanese oolongs account for about 20% of world production
• Global black tea production is expected to grow by 2.9% annually, hitting 4.17 million tons by 2023.
• The global organic tea market size is expected to reach USD 1.12 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2020 to 2027.

China’s Tea Production Statistics

• China has produced tea since approximately 2737 BC.
• In 2020, China produced 2.97 million metric tons of tea, 45% of the global tea supply.
• Of the 2.97 million metric tons of tea China produced in 2020:
• 24,354 metric tons was white
• 1,850,000 metric tons was green
• 287,000 metric tons was oolong
• 13,300 metric tons was yellow
• 435,000 metric tons was black
• 397,000 metric tons was dark
• 71% (2.3 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 2021 China produced 3.18 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.
• the most important benefits of drinking tea are considered to be that it tastes good (57%), it is relaxing (56%), it is easy to prepare (47%), and it is good for your health (41%).
• Tea consumption per capita in the UK is 1.3 kg for 2019
• 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 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.
• Most American tea consumers buy their tea at Supermarkets and hypermarkets.
• 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.
• Lipton Pure Leaf, Arizona and Gold Peak are the three biggest iced tea brands in America.
• RTD tea segment represented about 47% of the total market share in 2020.

Tea Consumption In India Statistics

• Tea is native to India; it was used as early as the 12th century for cooking.
• 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.
• 80% of the tea produced in India is consumed by the domestic market
• 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.
• 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 320 million kilograms of tea annually. Around 10% is consumed in Sri Lanka’s domestic market and 90% of Ceylon tea is exported.
• Sri Lanka exports $1.27B 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, 350,000 kgs of Ceylon tea annually.
• 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 US$2.55bn in 2022, and is expected to grow by around 3% annually.
• 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.
• The UK has imported 133 thousand tonnes 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

• In 2020, the Canadian tea market ranked 12th in revenue, and was valued at around 1.12 billion U.S. dollars.
• Regular black is the most popular tea in Canada; it’s preferred by 47% of Canadians.
• Around 31% of Canadians drink 2-3 cups of tea per day.
• 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.

Ready To Drink Tea Statistics

• The global ready-to-drink (RTD) tea market size was worth USD 29.66 billion in 2019. 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.
• The American RTD tea market was worth USD 2.19 billion in 2020.
• RTD tea in North America has grown 4.3 % annually between 2016 and 2027.
• 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.

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.
• 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.