China alone consumes about 50% of the world's green tea supply. And India comes in second place as the second largest consumer of tea in the world — but this is mostly because of population. China and India might consume the most tea overall as a country, but the average person doesn't drink all that much tea a day.
Conclusion - What Country Drinks the Most Tea
The country that drinks the most Tea in the world is Turkey, followed by Ireland, the UK, Iran, Russia, Morocco, New Zealand, Chile, Egypt and Poland.
1. Japan: The Matcha Nation. There's the green tea you see everyday, and then there's matcha. This traditional Japanese beverage is the most potent form of green tea, made using the youngest leaves and ground into a fine powder that dissolves in hot water.
Turkey had the highest rate of tea drinkers in 2022, with nine in ten people saying that they regularly drink the hot beverage, followed by Kenya. Tea is the second most widely consumed drink around the world, coming in only after water.
In Japan, 72.3% of people drink green tea daily in Japan, and 89.6% of people drink green tea more than once a week. In fact, as people get older, more people prefer to drink green tea.
Health Benefits: Japanese Green Tea Has More Antioxidants
(Read more about EGCG and antioxidants in my other article.) EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) is antioxidants or substances that combat free radicals, which can damage DNA and alter or even kill cells in the body.
While green tea plays a central role in both Chinese and Japanese culture, it is only native to China. Green tea is first documented in 8th century Chinese text — it would be 100 years or so before Buddhist monks brought the Camellia sinensis tea plant and green tea processing methods over to Japan.
Turkey had the highest rate of tea drinkers in 2022, with nine in ten people saying that they regularly drink the hot beverage. Kenya, a major producer and exporter of tea, also ranked highly in the 56 countries analyzed, with 83 percent of its respondents saying they regularly drink tea.
Priced around a whopping $1.2 million/kg, Da-Hong Pao tea is hands down, the most expensive tea in the entire world. This ultra luxurious tea is declared as a national treasure for its rarity. An oolong breed, its record dates back to the Ming Dynasty.
Rishi Tea Sencha Tea
Certified organic, non-GMO, and 100% green tea, Rishi Sencha Green Tea tops our list. Sencha tea has a delicate flavor profile with sweet and bright earthy notes, making it an easily drinkable beverage. Rishi sources their sencha tea from Kyushu Island in southern Japan.
Two Main Reasons Why Japanese People Drink Green Tea
Green tea is known to have the power of boosting the blood vessels and circulatory system and stave off germs. It is this Vitamin C that gives green tea the attribute of being an effective mean of fighting off colds.
Looking at the amount of alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, the Seychelles is in first place with around 20.5 litres of alcohol drunk per person per year, according to Our World in Data; studies show that young male peer groups primarily drink high amounts of alcohol in the Seychelles.
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water.
The Irish drink nearly five pounds of tea every year; whether they add a shot of Irish whiskey to their tea is their business! The UK comes in third, with Brits quaffing just over four pounds of tea a year. China actually places 19th, with the Chinese enjoying not quite one-and-a-half pounds of tea per person annually.
Black Tea. Perhaps the most famous, and most popular, tea in the world, black tea is a staple in many households. There are several types of black tea in the market, but Ceylon tea is widely considered to be one of the finest brews.
A pot of the elusive Da Hong Pao tea will set you back $10,000 — that's $1,400 for a single gram, more than 30 times its weight in gold. It truly is, as the BBC says, “one of the most expensive teas in the world.” The luxe leaves are so exclusive that rich “tea collectors” use brokers to help them get the good stuff.
The King of Teas is an oolong called Da Hong Pao, translated as Big Red Robe. Assuming you can find it, the original tea costs over 30 times its weight in gold, or almost $1,400 US per gram. It is grown in Fujian, a province in the southeastern part of China across the strait from the island of Taiwan.
Hong Kong–style milk tea, black tea sweetened with evaporated milk originating from the days of British colonial rule in Hong Kong. Doodh pati chai, literally 'milk and tea leaves', a tea beverage drunk in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Teh tarik, a kind of milk tea popular in Malaysia and Singapore.
Turkey is the largest consumer of tea. According to sources, each Turk consumes approximately 1,300 cups (3.16kg) of tea annually.
Hangzhou, China
A pilgrimage to Hangzhou, the tea capital of the largest tea consuming and producer in the world is paramount.
This fine tea is from Zhejiang and Hunan Provinces in Eastern and South-Central China, fertile territories whose subtropical climate lends itself perfectly to tea production. This is a super example of a green Sencha style tea, where the leaves are heated by steam rather than by direct heat.
Japanese green tea, in particular, is known for being “non-fermented tea” because the tea leaves are heat-treated shortly after being picked. This cultivation method is what gives Japanese green tea its bright, signature green color.
Dating back more than 4,000 years, Chinese green tea has long been revered as a tasty drink that can ward off diseases and improve a person's well-being. According to tradition, Chinese green tea could cure anything from headaches, body aches, and pains to constipation and depression.