If you’re looking for the Largest Tea Producing Country in 2024, then you are at the right place. In this article, we will discuss the Top 10 Largest Tea Producing Countries in 2024.
Once upon a time, a Chinese emperor made a revolutionary discovery—the discovery of tea. According to legend, he had the habit of drinking only boiled water, however, the wind has always been a force of nature. One day, while his servants were boiling water, a leaf fell into the pot, and this was how the first cup of tea was brewed. Therefore, China is the hometown of tea.
Since then, tea has been integrated into the economies of many countries around the world. Now let’s take a look at some of the top 10 largest tea producing countries in the world in 2024 and see what the little leaves on top of these shrubs can do to a country.
Top 10 Largest Tea Producing Countries
10. Japan – 85,900 tons
In fact, in Japan, tea is grown almost all over the country. Although it may not be grown for commercial purposes, it is still able to be grown all over the country, with perhaps the only exception being some areas in Hokkaido and Osaka. Due to different soil conditions and climates, different regions are known for producing different tea blends.
Even today, Shizuka remains the largest tea-producing state in Japan. Nearly 40% of the tea produced in Japan is produced in this region. It is followed by the Kagoshima region, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of Japan’s total tea production. Besides these two popular and important regions, Fukuoka, Kyushu, and Miyazaki are several other important tea-producing states. Of all the tea produced in Japan, only a very small portion is exported due to the huge demand in Japan itself, most of the tea produced in Japan is green tea.
9. Argentina – 1,00,000 tons
Tea is also a popular hot drink in Argentina, with locally grown “herbal tea,” an indigenous tea grown throughout the country. Most of the tea produced in Argentina is more or less grown in the eastern regions of Argentina, such as Mision and Corrientes are very special tea varieties.
Farmers now rely on modern tools to help them do everything from planting to picking leaves, which has also greatly improved the efficiency of tea production. Of course, much of the tea produced here is exported and is the country’s main source of foreign exchange.
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8. Indonesia – 1,43,600 tons
Tea was once the most important crop in the region, however, the acreage of tea estates has taken a hit due to the growth of the more lucrative palm oil business. Nonetheless, today, Indonesia remains one of the largest tea-producing countries in the world. Half of what they produce is exported and the other half is reserved for domestic consumption.
In terms of tea, their main export partners are Russia, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. A major problem facing tea farmers in the country is maximizing yields. All that aside, most of the tea produced in this country is black tea, while only a portion is green tea.
7. Iran – 1,55,300 tons
Iranians’ love for tea is almost like a love affair. At first, Iranians were more inclined to the rival of “tea” – coffee. However, as coffee was difficult to obtain due to the distance from the coffee-producing countries, tea was soon introduced to the country. Since Iran’s neighbor China is one of the largest tea exporters (not exactly a neighbor, but relatively closer to a coffee exporter.), tea is relatively easy to obtain, so tea has been promoted and popularized under certain conditions.
However, now Iran also produces its own tea, mainly due to the initial achievements of Prince Kasev, today Iran is the ninth largest tea producer in the world. Prince Kasev learned the secret art of growing tea while posing as a laborer in India, and he took what he learned, along with some samples, back to Iran, where he began producing tea. Today, most of the tea produced in Iran is grown in the northern hillside provinces, similar to those in Darjeeling.
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6. Vietnam – 2,06,780 tons
The tea culture in Vietnam is deeply ingrained, and the French invasion of Vietnam helped the tea production in Vietnam to a large extent, they helped with factory construction and research in many key areas. Since then, the tea industry has continued to grow and develop.
In fact, most of the tea produced in the country is actually exported, with only a small portion reserved for domestic consumption. Just like China and Japan, Vietnam mainly produces green tea. However, Vietnamese tea is not very popular internationally and is mainly exported to China.
5. Türkiye – 2,30,000 tons
Turks love to drink tea, and according to a study nearly a decade ago, Turks drink the most tea, with an average of 2.5kg per person. Where does Turkey get so much tea from? Well, they produce a lot of it themselves. In fact, in 2004, they produced over 200,000 tons of tea! Today, while a large portion of their tea is exported, a significant portion of it is consumed domestically.
4. Sri Lanka – 3,07,180 tons
Tea is not just a plant in Sri Lanka, it is an important part of their economy and a huge source of livelihood for the islanders. The numbers backing up this claim are staggering, with over a million people employed because of tea. As of 2013, tea contributed more than US$1.3 billion to Sri Lanka’s GDP.
Much of the tea produced here is exported abroad, and tea from many countries is imported from Sri Lanka. Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and even Turkey itself are among the country’s tea importers. It is a relatively small island and most of the tea is grown in two areas: Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.
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3. Kenya – 4,39,858 tons
Kenya’s status as one of the largest tea producers in the world is quite surprising when we see the working conditions of the growers of these crops. Tea is the most important cash crop in the Kenyan economy, but it is difficult for tea farmers to optimize production. The main reason is that there are no large-scale farms, very little modern equipment, and poor working conditions.
Still, it is remarkable that Kenya ranks third in the world in terms of tea production. The tea grown in Kenya is almost exclusively black and most of it is exported. There is not much left for domestic consumption, which is understandable because their demand for tea is not high, after all, they depend on tea for their money.
2. India – 13,25,050 tons
Tea, more commonly known as “Chai”, is an integral part of Indian culture. Whether formally or informally, tea can also be referred to as the country’s “national drink of the country,” which means just how important it actually is. Mass production of tea began in India during the British Raj, and the East India Company took full advantage of the now world-famous Assam tea while establishing a separate company called the Assam Tea Company to manage tea cultivation in the Assam garden.
Before 2017, India was the world’s largest tea producer, however, today India ranks only second. India is one of the largest tea producing countries in the world. Much of the tea produced in India is consumed domestically while only a portion is exported. Undoubtedly, the most famous tea-growing regions in India are Assam and Darjeeling, however, teas grown in the southern regions near the Nilgiri range also deserve attention.
1. China – 25,40,000 tons
China is the hometown of tea, and in the field of tea, China has always been in a leading position. China is the largest tea producing country in the world, and it is also the “source” of tea in the world and has created many “most” in the world., and it is important to note that the country is known for producing high-quality green, yellow, and white teas.
Tea is the “sacred product” of the world’s three major beverages (the other two are coffee and cocoa), and enjoys the reputation of “Oriental gift” and “green gold”. It is universally recognized that China is the birthplace of tea.
In China, a lot of land is used to grow tea, so as China’s tea production is increasing year by year, so are exports. In fact, approximately 80% of the world’s green tea exports come from China. The story of tea begins in China. The Yunnan region of China is one of the earliest regions known to grow tea. Anhui and Fujian are two other very important tea-growing regions.
