Think India is the tea capital? China dominates global tea production. Here’s who comes next
Think India is the tea capital? China dominates global tea production. Here’s who comes next
From morning chai to afternoon tea, the world’s tea habit is enormous. But the countries supplying it are far fewer than you might expect.
Business Today Desk
- Aug 18, 2026,
- Updated Aug 18, 2026 3:11 PM IST
Tea remains the world’s most-consumed beverage after water. Global production reached 7.05 million metric tons in 2024—nearly double the volume produced two decades ago. While black tea continues to dominate global markets, green tea accounts for roughly one-third of total output.
From the misty highlands of Kenya to the terraced gardens of China, these are the nations that power the world’s daily cup—ranked by 2024 tea production. The data comes from the International Tea Committee Ltd via the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
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China’s Overwhelming Dominance China, the birthplace of tea, produced 3.74 million metric tons in 2024, accounting for 53% of the world’s supply. This output is almost three times that of India, the second-largest producer. In fact, China’s 2024 production alone surpassed the combined total of the next seven largest producers: India, Kenya, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Japan.
India’s Strong Domestic Market
India produced 1.29 million metric tons of tea in 2024, representing 18% of global output. Together, China and India contributed 71% of the world’s tea. Notably, more than half of India’s tea is consumed domestically, making the country not just a major producer but also one of the largest tea markets globally.
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Kenya: The Export Powerhouse Kenya ranks third with 599,000 metric tons (8% of global production) and stands out as the only non-Asian nation among the top eight producers. Despite producing less than half of India’s volume, Kenya is the world’s leading tea exporter, as China and India retain large shares of their output for domestic consumption.
Asia’s Tea Hegemony Seven of the eight largest tea-producing countries are in Asia. Beyond China and India, key producers include Türkiye (273,000 tons), Sri Lanka (262,000 tons), Vietnam (180,000 tons), Indonesia (125,000 tons), and Japan (74,000 tons). Türkiye also boasts the world’s highest per capita tea consumption, exceeding three kilograms annually.
Concentrated Global Output The top eight producers collectively accounted for 93% of global tea production in 2024. The rest of the world contributed just 515,000 metric tons, or 7% of total output.
Tea remains the world’s most-consumed beverage after water. Global production reached 7.05 million metric tons in 2024—nearly double the volume produced two decades ago. While black tea continues to dominate global markets, green tea accounts for roughly one-third of total output.
From the misty highlands of Kenya to the terraced gardens of China, these are the nations that power the world’s daily cup—ranked by 2024 tea production. The data comes from the International Tea Committee Ltd via the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
Advertisement
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China’s Overwhelming Dominance China, the birthplace of tea, produced 3.74 million metric tons in 2024, accounting for 53% of the world’s supply. This output is almost three times that of India, the second-largest producer. In fact, China’s 2024 production alone surpassed the combined total of the next seven largest producers: India, Kenya, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Japan.
India’s Strong Domestic Market
India produced 1.29 million metric tons of tea in 2024, representing 18% of global output. Together, China and India contributed 71% of the world’s tea. Notably, more than half of India’s tea is consumed domestically, making the country not just a major producer but also one of the largest tea markets globally.
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Kenya: The Export Powerhouse Kenya ranks third with 599,000 metric tons (8% of global production) and stands out as the only non-Asian nation among the top eight producers. Despite producing less than half of India’s volume, Kenya is the world’s leading tea exporter, as China and India retain large shares of their output for domestic consumption.
Asia’s Tea Hegemony Seven of the eight largest tea-producing countries are in Asia. Beyond China and India, key producers include Türkiye (273,000 tons), Sri Lanka (262,000 tons), Vietnam (180,000 tons), Indonesia (125,000 tons), and Japan (74,000 tons). Türkiye also boasts the world’s highest per capita tea consumption, exceeding three kilograms annually.
Concentrated Global Output The top eight producers collectively accounted for 93% of global tea production in 2024. The rest of the world contributed just 515,000 metric tons, or 7% of total output.
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