These 12 Countries with the Biggest Tea Production of the World

Just after water, tea is the beverage that people drink the most. Tea is made from the Camellia sinensis (tea plant)'s buds or leaves. Tea has been around since 2700 BCE in China. The beverage was then exported to Europe and then the rest of the world. In many nations today, drinking tea has become a necessary part of everyday life.

The principal plant used to make tea, Camellia sinensis, is primarily grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Many regions of Asia have the conditions. It is therefore not surprising that eight of the top ten tea-producing nations are found on this continent.

It doesn't really matter if this story is a little exaggerated; tea still tastes good.

So let’s travel a little and go on an international journey of tea discovery to find out who are the top 10 plus tea producing countries in the world.

Top Biggest Tea Producing Countries In The World

Top 12 Biggest Tea Producing Countries In The World

1. China-2.4 million tons per year

The tradition of drinking tea originated in China. The nation has held the top spot in the production and supply of tea for many years. This year, it produces more than 2 million tonnes of tea, or around 40% of the total weight of the crop. Chinese tea has substantial export markets, namely in Europe, America, and Asia.

Chinese tea has its distinctive flavor, aroma, and attributes. Black tea, green tea, Pu'er tea, yellow tea, and floral tea are just a few of the many varieties of tea that are well-known in the nation.

China owns more than 2,000,000 hectares of tea land, the majority of which is in the provinces of Yunan, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan, and Hunan.

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2. India-1.2 million tons per year

With 1.2 million tons of annual tea production, India comes in second on this list. Silk caravans from China to Europe brought the first tea to India millennia ago. Despite this early connection, the beverage didn't fully take off until the British officially introduced it to the culture. The British wanted to break China's monopoly on tea production by cultivating it in their prized colony, India, where the climate is suitable for growing the plants and the tea quality is equivalent to that of China.

Like in China, tea is a need for daily life here as well. Tens of thousands of tea gardens, including well-known types like Darjeeling and Assam, are dispersed throughout the nation.

3. Kenya-305,000 tons per year

Only Kenya is included in the top ten producing nations of tea in the world. The nation is considered as the leading exporter of black tea in the world and will produce over 400 thousand tonnes of tea in 2022.

On an estimated 236,000 hectares of land, around 500,000 small-scale farmers in Kenya are thought to be engaged in the production of tea leaves. Famous places like the Nyambene Hills, Nandi, and the Kericho region also have tea plant distributions.

Despite being in Africa, Kenya is close to the equator, providing abundant sunlight and ideal growing conditions for plants.

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4. Sri Lanka-300,000 tons per year

Sri Lanka is the fourth-largest producer of tea, with 340,230 tons of the plant growing there. It is one of the biggest orthodox tea producers in the world and is well-known for its Ceylon teas, which got their name from the colonizers who once called the country Ceylon. The country initially produced far more coffee, but after a blight ruined their crops, it shifted to tea. The main source of the country's foreign exchange (GDP) with other countries is tea production, which today accounts for 2% of the GDP of the country.

The British first planted tea in India in 1867 to compete with China's output, and since then the nation has produced some of the finest single-origin teas in the world.

5. Turkey-175,000 tons per year

Now we are in the Middle East, notably in Turkey, which traditionally occupied a crucial position along the routes used for trade between the east and the west and currently produces 227,400 tonnes of tea. Growing Riza, a tea from the same name region in the province that produces more than 60% of Turkey's tea, on the north-east Black Sea coast. The additional provinces are Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon. Turkey has the highest per capita consumption of tea on earth while having a very small harvest.

6. Indonesia-157,000 tons per year

After crossing the Indian Ocean, we arrive at Indonesia, which produces less than 150,000 tonnes of tea. During colonial control, the Dutch East India Company introduced the crop in 1782. It was produced primarily in the Wonosari region of East Java, producing principally black and green teas from Indian Assam kinds, which were more adapted to the environment than their Chinese siblings. Indonesian teas are well-known across the world for having high concentrations of catechin, a natural phenol and antioxidant that is essential for maintaining a healthy gut and heart.

7. Vietnam-117,000 tons per year

Vietnam is the fifth-largest producer of tea in the world because to its tropical environment and high-mountain plains that span the whole nation. This year, the nation will produce more than 200 thousand tonnes of tea.

Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and America are among the many markets for Vietnamese tea that are constantly growing and diversifying. Domestic tea drinkers often favor straightforward teas with little flavors, with green tea being the most widely consumed type. Green tea is the most widely consumed tea as a result. Additionally, Vietnam is well-known for its lotus tea, which is produced by enclosing green tea leaves in a lotus flower and letting it sit for a whole night so the leaves can absorb the smell of the flower. Lotus tea has a distinctive flavor, aroma, and culture.

In addition, Vietnam has also become one of the world’s biggest black tea exporters to many markets worldwide recently. Vietnamese Black tea comes in various grades, based on tea leaf size, the origin of the plantation, and the processing machine. The tea is also unique in flavor, taste, and liquor.

9. Japan-89,000 tons per year

We travel to Japan, where more than 89,00 tonnes of primarily green matcha and sencha tea are produced; most of this tea is eaten domestically. Buddhist monks brought it to the islands in the sixth century, and it immediately became associated with religious rituals. The first seeds for plants arrived in 805, and more seeds followed in 806.

Further seeds were imported, cultivation started, and the rest, as they say, is history as the distinctive Japanese tea ceremony and the culture connected with it began to emerge after coming to the attention of the 52nd Emperor Saga during his reign between 809 and 823. The prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kyoto, Shizuoka, and Mie produce the majority of the world's tea because of their favorable climates for tea growth.

10. Iran-84,000 tons per year

The 10th ranking belongs to Iran, the only Middle East country on the list. Its total tea producing volume will be roughly 84,000 tonnes in 2022.

Tea was introduced to Iran for the first time in the 15th century, thanks to the trade expansion along the famous Silk Road. Although the tea crop was first grown in 1899, the country currently has about 18,000 hectares of tea land, ensuring a sufficient supply for the domestic market and even export.

11. Thailand – 75,000 Tons per year

Thailand’s heartland for tea producing is the region around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to the North. Earning them a respectable 11th position globally and hot on the heels of Japanese output. The "Thai iced tea" recipe, which combines strongly brewed black tea with spices, sugar, condensed milk, and/or coconut milk, was developed in Thailand. Thai iced tea, which is sometimes made from teas grown in other nations, is much more well-known in the United States than tea that is actually cultivated in Thailand.

12. Argentina-70,000 tons per year

The sole South American nation in the top 10 tea producing nations is Argentina, which produces more tea than any other country in the Americas. This year, the nation will produce a total of about 70,000 tonnes of tea.

In Argentina, tea is produced mostly in the provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, Chaco, and Tucuman. It is a hybrid of black and green teas.

Argentina is famous for its Yerba Mate in particular because of its bitter and earthy flavor. Yerba Mate is primarily consumed at home.

Conclusion

There has been a recent rise in tea drinking.Getting details about a country and its products is vital before choosing which one will be your supplier. All distributors of tea, tea importers, and tea drinkers will find this research on the top 10 tea-producing nations useful.

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