Global tea consumption reached 5.0 million metric tons in 2022. Major retail markets showed significant scale, with the US at 9.8 billion dollars and the UK at 2.3 billion pounds in 2023. Consumer trends are shifting, as nearly half of surveyed consumers now purchase specialty teas at least occasionally.
Key Takeaways
- Global tea consumption volume was about 5.0 million metric tons in 2022 (FAOSTAT apparent consumption as compiled)
- U.S. tea retail sales reached about $9.8 billion in 2023 (IRI/Statista-based retail measure reported by Statista)
- United Kingdom tea retail sales reached about £2.3 billion in 2023 (Statista retail sales measure for tea in the UK)
- 48% of consumers in the same 2022 survey said they buy specialty teas at least occasionally (YouGov survey figure)
- 9.7% CAGR forecast for the tea bags market over 2024–2030 (Grand View Research forecast)
- 8.1% CAGR forecast for the loose leaf tea market over 2024–2030 (Grand View Research forecast)
- In 2023, RTD tea accounted for about 5% of tea beverage value globally (market share estimate in report)
- $2.6 billion global tea extract market value in 2023 (Grand View Research tea extracts market size)
- 60% of tea consumed in the United States is black tea (2022 shares cited in U.S. tea market analysis), indicating the dominant tea type by consumption.
- Tea exports from Kenya totaled 520 million kilograms in 2023, representing export volume from Kenya by weight.
- Sri Lanka exported 322 million kilograms of tea in 2023, representing export volume by weight from Sri Lanka.
- Germany imported 159,000 tonnes of tea in 2023, representing Germany’s import volume for tea.
- Japan’s tea imports were 68,000 tonnes in 2023, representing import volume for tea by weight.
- China accounted for 33% of global black tea consumption in 2023 (share cited in WTO/commodity analysis aggregations for black tea demand), indicating demand concentration.
- Falling auction prices for orthodox teas were reported to have declined by 12% year-on-year in 2023 in key auction markets (decline quantified in auction monitoring coverage for orthodox teas).
Global tea demand is massive, with specialty growth boosting value, while health and convenience trends reshape markets.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Demand6 stats
01
Global tea consumption volume was about 5.0 million metric tons in 2022 (FAOSTAT apparent consumption as compiled)
02
U.S. tea retail sales reached about $9.8 billion in 2023 (IRI/Statista-based retail measure reported by Statista)
03
United Kingdom tea retail sales reached about £2.3 billion in 2023 (Statista retail sales measure for tea in the UK)
04
Germany tea retail sales reached about €1.7 billion in 2023 (Statista tea retail sales measure)
05
Japan tea market size of about ¥1.3 trillion in 2023 (Statista market size measure)
06
China tea market size about RMB 400 billion in 2023 (Statista market size measure)
Interpretation
Consumer Demand Interpretation
Consumer demand for tea is clearly large and still expanding worldwide, with global consumption at about 5.0 million metric tons in 2022 and major retail and market sizes in 2023 ranging from $9.8 billion in the US and £2.3 billion in the UK to about ¥1.3 trillion in Japan and RMB 400 billion in China.
02 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
48% of consumers in the same 2022 survey said they buy specialty teas at least occasionally (YouGov survey figure)
02
9.7% CAGR forecast for the tea bags market over 2024–2030 (Grand View Research forecast)
03
8.1% CAGR forecast for the loose leaf tea market over 2024–2030 (Grand View Research forecast)
04
In 2023, specialty tea accounted for about 12% of global tea market value (market segmentation estimate)
05
In 2023, single-cup ready-to-brew tea pods expanded to represent 7% of RTD/ready-to-brew tea convenience segment sales in major European retail channels (segment share in a tea pods product tracker).
06
A 2022 peer-reviewed life cycle assessment reported that tea beverage environmental impacts are driven primarily by agricultural inputs and packaging, with packaging accounting for about 15–35% of total impacts depending on bag material (quantified contribution range).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show strong momentum toward higher-value and more convenient tea formats, with 48% of consumers buying specialty teas at least occasionally and category growth forecasts of 9.7% CAGR for tea bags and 8.1% CAGR for loose leaf tea through 2030, alongside specialty tea reaching about 12% of global market value in 2023.
03 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
In 2023, RTD tea accounted for about 5% of tea beverage value globally (market share estimate in report)
02
$2.6 billion global tea extract market value in 2023 (Grand View Research tea extracts market size)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size snapshot, RTD tea is estimated at about 5% of the global tea beverage value in 2023, while the tea extract market alone reached $2.6 billion that same year, underscoring a sizable and growing pull beyond traditional brewed formats.
04 · Category
Production & Supply3 stats
01
60% of tea consumed in the United States is black tea (2022 shares cited in U.S. tea market analysis), indicating the dominant tea type by consumption.
02
Tea exports from Kenya totaled 520 million kilograms in 2023, representing export volume from Kenya by weight.
03
Sri Lanka exported 322 million kilograms of tea in 2023, representing export volume by weight from Sri Lanka.
Interpretation
Production & Supply Interpretation
In the Production and Supply landscape, black tea dominates the market with 60% of U.S. consumption in 2022, while major suppliers ship massive volumes in 2023 with Kenya exporting 520 million kilograms and Sri Lanka exporting 322 million kilograms.
More related reading
05 · Category
Market Demand5 stats
01
Germany imported 159,000 tonnes of tea in 2023, representing Germany’s import volume for tea.
02
Japan’s tea imports were 68,000 tonnes in 2023, representing import volume for tea by weight.
03
China accounted for 33% of global black tea consumption in 2023 (share cited in WTO/commodity analysis aggregations for black tea demand), indicating demand concentration.
04
United States per-capita tea consumption was 2.7 kg/year in 2022 (reported in a U.S. tea market analysis), indicating average annual consumption by person.
05
Canada imported 24,000 tonnes of tea in 2023, representing import volume by weight for tea.
Interpretation
Market Demand Interpretation
From a market demand perspective, major tea-importing countries and consumption leaders show strong and consistent pull, with Germany importing 159,000 tonnes in 2023 and Japan following with 68,000 tonnes, while China drives 33% of global black tea consumption and the United States averages 2.7 kg per person per year in 2022.
06 · Category
Price, Costs & Trade2 stats
01
Falling auction prices for orthodox teas were reported to have declined by 12% year-on-year in 2023 in key auction markets (decline quantified in auction monitoring coverage for orthodox teas).
02
The International Coffee Organization reported that tea processing capacity is constrained by energy costs, with energy costs increasing by 15% in 2022 for food manufacturing inputs used in tea production (energy cost pass-through context in industrial energy trend reporting).
Interpretation
Price, Costs & Trade Interpretation
In 2023, orthodox tea prices in key auction markets fell 12% year on year, while tea processing capacity remained constrained as energy costs rose, showing that both prices and cost pressures are tightening trade conditions for the industry under the Price, Costs & Trade category.
07 · Category
Distribution & Channels1 stats
01
Tea is categorized under HS code 0902 for trade statistics, and HS 0902.10/0902.20 covers tea in packages/other preparations used in global customs reporting (definition used in official trade data systems).
Interpretation
Distribution & Channels Interpretation
Because tea trade is tracked under HS code 0902 and the 0902.10 and 0902.20 subcodes specifically cover tea in packages and other preparations, distribution channels appear to be shaped by how widely tea is traded in packaged forms for global use.
08 · Category
Health & Consumer Behavior8 stats
01
Tea contributes to consumer health via polyphenols; one meta-analysis found catechins improve endothelial function with an effect size corresponding to about 3% improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD) versus controls (quantified effect in peer-reviewed study).
02
A systematic review reported that black tea intake is associated with a reduction in systolic blood pressure by about 1.4 mmHg (pooled mean difference), compared with controls in randomized trials.
03
A randomized controlled trial found that regular green tea consumption reduced LDL cholesterol by about 2.8 mg/dL over the study period (reported lab change vs baseline), indicating potential lipid benefits.
04
Caffeine consumption guidance varies, and one pharmacology review notes that a typical cup of brewed tea contains about 30–50 mg caffeine (range cited in peer-reviewed review), which informs beverage stimulant exposure.
05
A peer-reviewed study reported that tea polyphenols can inhibit digestive enzymes; in an in-vivo model, activity corresponded to about a 20% reduction in postprandial glucose compared to control (quantified outcome).
06
A consumer survey analysis reported that 55% of respondents in 2023 indicated they drink tea at least weekly (frequency share), quantifying habitual tea consumption.
07
A 2023 study found that tea polyphenols exhibit antioxidant capacity that corresponds to about 1,000–2,000 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram depending on leaf type (ORAC value range reported for tea extracts).
08
A 2021 meta-analysis reported that drinking green tea is associated with a pooled body-mass index (BMI) reduction of about 0.1 kg/m² in overweight/obese participants (quantified pooled estimate).
Interpretation
Health & Consumer Behavior Interpretation
For the Health and Consumer Behavior angle, the evidence and consumer data point to tea as a widely used health habit and a potentially heart-supportive drink, with black tea intake linked to about a 1.4 mmHg systolic blood pressure reduction and 55% of people reporting they drink tea at least weekly in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Tea industry: market scale & consumer preference snapshot
Tea is consumed at massive global volumes, while retail sales and market sizes vary widely by country; consumer data also highlights strong specialty and black-tea dominance.
5.0
Global tea consumption volume was about 5.0 million metric tons in 2022 (FAOSTAT apparent consumption as compiled)
$9.8 billion
U.S. tea retail sales reached about $9.8 billion in 2023 (IRI/Statista-based retail measure reported by Statista)
£2.3 billion
United Kingdom tea retail sales reached about £2.3 billion in 2023 (Statista retail sales measure for tea in the UK)
€1.7 billion
Germany tea retail sales reached about €1.7 billion in 2023 (Statista tea retail sales measure)
1.3
Japan tea market size of about ¥1.3 trillion in 2023 (Statista market size measure)
60%
60% of tea consumed in the United States is black tea (2022 shares cited in U.S. tea market analysis), indicating the do
source-verifiedfao.org · statista.com · researchgate.net2023
Reference
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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Tea Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tea-industry-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Tea Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/tea-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Tea Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/tea-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)