Kenya is the largest tea exporter in the world by volume. In 2024 it shipped about 610,000 tonnes of tea, far ahead of China (about 368,000 tonnes), India and Sri Lanka. By value the race is much closer: Kenya, Sri Lanka and China each earned roughly 1.3 to 1.4 billion US dollars from tea exports in 2024, and which one comes first depends on the dataset you use.
That split between volume and value is why you see different answers online. Below you will find both rankings, where the numbers come from, and what kind of tea each country actually sells.
Largest tea exporter in the world by volume (2024)
This table ranks countries by the weight of tea they exported in 2024. The figures come from the CEPII BACI dataset, which cleans and reconciles UN Comtrade customs data, as published by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). It covers all tea under customs code HS 0902 (green and black, bulk and packed), but not herbal teas or mate.
| Rank | Country | Exports in 2024 (tonnes, rounded) | Main type exported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenya | 609,700 | CTC black tea |
| 2 | China | 368,100 | Green tea |
| 3 | India | 251,600 | CTC and orthodox black tea |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 237,400 | Orthodox black tea (Ceylon) |
| 5 | Vietnam | 74,200 | Black and green tea |
| 6 | Argentina | 65,700 | Black tea for blending |
| 7 | Uganda | 60,600 | CTC black tea |
| 8 | Indonesia | 36,200 | Black and green tea |
| 9 | Malawi | 31,500 | CTC black tea |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | 29,700 | Re exports of blended and packed tea |
| 11 | Poland | 21,600 | Re exports of blended and packed tea |
| 12 | Germany | 21,500 | Re exports of blended and packed tea |
Source: OEC, CEPII BACI (HS 2017), year 2024. Rwanda (about 20,300 tonnes) and Nepal (about 16,300 tonnes) sit just outside the top 12.
A note on Vietnam: the reconciled BACI figure is lower than Vietnam’s own customs count. Vietnam’s agriculture ministry reports 136,952 tonnes of tea exports in 2025, worth nearly 238 million dollars. Either way Vietnam is clearly the fifth biggest exporter of tea by volume.
Largest tea exporter in the world by value (2024)
Ranking by money earned gives a different list of top tea exporters in the world. World tea exports were worth about 7.58 billion dollars in 2024, according to the same OEC data.
| Rank | Country | Export value in 2024 (USD) | Share of world tea exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenya | 1.40 billion | 18.4% |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 1.37 billion | 18.1% |
| 3 | China | 1.32 billion | 17.5% |
| 4 | India | 834 million | 11.0% |
| 5 | Poland | 273 million | 3.6% |
| 6 | Japan | 257 million | 3.4% |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | 236 million | 3.1% |
| 8 | Germany | 219 million | 2.9% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 136 million | 1.8% |
| 10 | Vietnam | 114 million | 1.5% |
| 11 | United States | 88 million | 1.2% |
| 12 | Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) | 88 million | 1.2% |
Source: OEC, CEPII BACI (HS 2017), year 2024. Shares are calculated from the 7.58 billion dollar world total.
The top three are separated by less than 6%. China’s own statistics put its 2024 tea exports at 374,100 tonnes worth 1.42 billion dollars, which would move it to first place by value. So the honest answer is: Kenya leads clearly by volume, and Kenya, Sri Lanka and China share the lead by value.
How national tea boards report 2024
| Country | Official 2024 export figure | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 594.5 million kg, worth KSh 181.69 billion | Tea Board of Kenya |
| China | 374,100 tonnes, worth 1.42 billion dollars | China National Bureau of Statistics |
| Sri Lanka | 245.79 million kg, worth Rs 433 billion | Sri Lanka Tea Board |
| India | about 254 million kg | Tea Board of India |
National figures differ slightly from the BACI table because each country counts shipments, years and currency conversions in its own way. The ranking stays the same.
Kenya vs China: which is the largest tea exporter in the world?
Kenya sells a lot of tea at a modest price. China sells less tea at a higher price.
Kenya’s exports are almost all CTC black tea, the small, hard granules made by the crush, tear, curl method. CTC brews fast and strong, which is why it fills tea bags and milky chai around the world. In 2024 Kenya’s tea averaged about 2.30 dollars per kilo in the BACI data. Pakistan is Kenya’s biggest customer by a wide margin, according to the Tea Board of Kenya 2024 performance report, followed by markets such as the UK, the UAE and Russia.
China is the world’s largest tea producer, with about 3.74 million tonnes in 2024 according to the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal, yet it exports only around a tenth of that. Most Chinese tea is drunk at home. What it does export is mainly green tea, about 87% of export volume, and it earns about 3.60 dollars per kilo on average. If you want the producer side of this story, read our guide to the world’s largest tea producer.
Kenya also depends on tea far more than China does. Tea made up about 16% of all Kenyan goods exports in 2024, the highest share of any country in the OEC data.
India: a huge producer that drinks most of its own tea
India is the second largest tea producer in the world, at about 1.28 million tonnes, yet it is not the largest tea exporter in the world. It ranks third by volume. It exported about 254 million kg in 2024 by the Tea Board of India’s count, which means roughly four cups out of five stay inside the country.
India exports both styles. CTC black tea from Assam, the Dooars and South India goes into everyday blends, while orthodox teas such as Darjeeling, orthodox Assam and Nilgiri sell at higher prices. Our explainer on CTC tea and how it is made covers the difference, and our guide to India’s tea growing regions shows where each style comes from.
Sri Lanka: the premium price leader
Sri Lanka exports less tea than India by weight but earns far more per kilo. In 2024 its tea averaged about 5.80 dollars per kilo, more than twice Kenya’s price, because most Ceylon tea is orthodox black tea, rolled whole leaf. Iraq and Russia are among its largest buyers.
That price premium is why Sri Lanka ranks fourth by volume but comes within a whisker of being the largest tea exporter in the world by value. The Sri Lanka Tea Board reported record export earnings of Rs 433 billion in 2024.
Vietnam, Argentina and the African exporters
- Vietnam exports both black and green tea, much of it in bulk at low prices, which is why it ranks fifth by volume but only tenth by value.
- Argentina is a big grower of black tea that is mostly sold in bulk for blending, including iced tea blends. It ranks sixth by volume.
- Uganda and Malawi grow CTC black tea in the Kenyan style and sell most of it in bulk. Uganda earned less than a dollar per kilo on average in 2024.
- Indonesia ships black and green tea, mostly in bulk.
Why Poland, Germany, the UAE and Japan appear on the list
Some of the best tea exporters in the world by value grow little or no tea at all. Poland, Germany, the UAE and the UK are trading hubs. They import bulk tea, blend and pack it, and ship it on under their own brands. Customs data counts these re exports, so they show up in the ranking even though the leaves came from Kenya, India, Sri Lanka or China.
Japan is the opposite case. It sold only about 11,600 tonnes in 2024 but earned about 257 million dollars, more than 20 dollars per kilo, thanks to matcha and other premium green teas. Our guide to matcha green tea powder explains why it costs so much.
Who buys the most tea?
The biggest importers by value in 2024, according to OEC, were Pakistan (about 624 million dollars), the United States (about 577 million dollars) and the United Kingdom (about 382 million dollars). Russia was also among the largest net importers. Pakistan’s demand is a big reason Kenya leads the world: Kenya sells more tea to Pakistan than to any other country.
For more on how the global tea trade breaks down, see our page of tea statistics and trends.
Related reading on Tea Story
FAQ
Which country is the largest tea exporter in the world?
Kenya is the largest tea exporter in the world by volume, with about 610,000 tonnes in 2024. By value, Kenya, Sri Lanka and China each earned about 1.3 to 1.4 billion dollars, so the lead depends on the dataset.
Who is the biggest exporter of tea by value?
In the 2024 OEC (CEPII BACI) data, Kenya is first at about 1.40 billion dollars, just ahead of Sri Lanka and China. China’s own statistics put its exports at 1.42 billion dollars, which would place it first.
Is India the biggest tea exporter in the world?
No. India is the second largest tea producer but the third biggest exporter by volume and fourth by value, because Indians drink most of the tea the country grows.
Why does China export less tea than Kenya if it grows more?
China grows about 3.74 million tonnes a year but drinks most of it at home and exports only around a tenth. Kenya consumes very little of its own tea and exports almost all of it.
What are the top tea exporters in the world?
By volume the top five are Kenya, China, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. By value the top five are Kenya, Sri Lanka, China, India and Poland, a blending and re export hub.
What kind of tea does Kenya export?
Almost all of it is CTC black tea, a strong, fast brewing tea used in tea bags and milky tea blends around the world.
Bottom line
If you want one answer, Kenya is the largest tea exporter in the world: it ships more tea by weight than any other country. By value, Kenya, Sri Lanka and China are close enough that the order changes with the data source. India, despite being a giant producer, keeps most of its tea at home. Countries like Poland, Germany and the UAE appear in value rankings because they blend and re export tea grown elsewhere. All figures here are for 2024, the latest full year in the international trade data.
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