Tea grows in more than 50 countries, but production is heavily concentrated in Asia and East Africa. China alone accounts for nearly 50 percent of the world’s tea, and together with India, the two countries produce about 70 percent of the global supply. Total world tea production reached 6.7 million tonnes in 2022, according to the FAO.
China: The Dominant Producer
China’s tea-growing territory is vast, spanning roughly 16 provinces that each produce over ten thousand metric tons annually. The top three provinces, Fujian, Yunnan, and Hubei, contribute a combined 41 percent of the nation’s output. The country produces every major type of tea: green, black, white, oolong, and fermented varieties like pu-erh.
China’s tea regions are often grouped into three belts. The Western Belt (Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan) is the largest green tea zone, responsible for about 40 percent of China’s green tea crop. Guizhou alone delivers nearly 15 percent. The Eastern Belt (Anhui, Fujian, and Zhejiang) supplies about a quarter of the green tea total and dominates exports. Zhejiang is especially focused, with 92 percent of its production being green tea. The Central Belt (Hubei, Hunan, and Shaanxi) produces roughly one-fifth and is growing fast, with Hubei nearly doubling its yield per hectare in recent years.
Yunnan Province illustrates how diverse Chinese tea regions can be. It ranks third in green tea output, but green tea makes up less than half of what it grows. The rest includes black tea and the aged, fermented pu-erh teas the province is famous for.
India: Distinct Regions, Distinct Flavors
India is the second-largest producer, contributing about 20.5 percent of world production. Its tea regions stretch from near sea level to above 2,500 meters, and the variation in altitude and climate gives each region a recognizable character.
Assam, in northeastern India, sits at only 45 to 60 meters above sea level in a hot, humid river valley. The teas grown here are rich, full-bodied, and malty, with a deep amber color. This is the tea most commonly found in strong breakfast blends worldwide. Darjeeling, by contrast, grows at elevations up to 2,000 meters in the foothills of the Himalayas. Its teas are lighter and more delicate, often described as having a “muscatel” grape-like or floral flavor. Darjeeling produces far less volume than Assam but commands premium prices.
Southern India has its own important growing areas. The Nilgiri hills, at 1,000 to 2,500 meters, produce fragrant, brisk teas with floral notes. Nearby districts like Munnar, Wayanad, and the Anamallais each grow at slightly different elevations and produce teas that range from biscuity and earthy to fruity and sweet. Kangra, tucked in the northern Himalayas at 700 to 1,000 meters, produces both black and green teas with a distinct character shaped by the cool mountain climate.
Kenya and East Africa
Kenya is the world’s largest tea exporter and produced about 543,000 tonnes in 2022. Tea grows on the highlands surrounding Mount Kenya, the Aberdare ranges, Nyambene Hills, and the plains of Kericho and Kisii, all at elevations between 1,500 and 2,700 meters. The high-altitude growing conditions serve as a natural barrier against pests and disease, which means Kenyan tea is largely grown without chemical pesticides. The soils range from deep alluvial types on the plains to red volcanic soils on mountain slopes, both contributing to the tea’s distinctive brightness and strength.
Most Kenyan tea is processed as CTC (crush, tear, curl) black tea, which produces the strong, quick-brewing style used in tea bags globally. The Kenya Tea Research Institute has developed specialized plant varieties adapted to the country’s different ecological zones, including drought-tolerant cultivars that help maintain yields as rainfall patterns shift.
Sri Lanka’s Seven Districts
Sri Lanka produced about 256,000 tonnes in 2022, and its tea is still marketed under the colonial-era name “Ceylon.” The island has seven recognized tea-growing districts: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Uda Pussellawa, Uva, Dimbula, Sabaragamuwa, and Ruhuna. These are classified by elevation into low-grown, mid-grown, and high-grown categories, and elevation is the single biggest factor shaping flavor.
Uva district teas grow at 1,000 to 1,600 meters, while Nuwara Eliya teas are cultivated at an average of 2,000 meters, making them the highest-grown on the island. Higher elevations produce lighter, more aromatic teas. Cooler temperatures slow the plant’s growth, which concentrates flavor compounds in the leaves but reduces overall yield. Lower-elevation districts like Ruhuna and Sabaragamuwa produce darker, stronger teas in greater volume.
Other Major Producers
Vietnam and Indonesia are significant players, each ranking among the top six tea-exporting nations. Vietnam accounted for about 3 percent of global tea plantation area in recent decades and has expanded rapidly, growing both green tea for domestic consumption and black tea for export. Indonesia has a long history of tea cultivation dating to the colonial period, with plantations concentrated on the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Turkey is one of the world’s largest tea producers by volume, though most of its crop is consumed domestically. Turkish tea grows almost exclusively along the eastern Black Sea coast near the city of Rize, where steep hillsides, heavy rainfall, and mild coastal temperatures create a narrow but productive growing zone. Iran also produces tea in its northern Caspian region under similar humid, subtropical conditions.
In South America, Argentina and Brazil both grow tea commercially, primarily in subtropical provinces. Argentina’s Misiones province is the main production zone, and most of its output is black tea destined for export blends.
What Tea Plants Need to Thrive
Tea (Camellia sinensis) grows best in warm, wet conditions with well-drained, slightly acidic soil. The optimal temperature range is 65 to 86°F (18 to 30°C). Growth stops below 55°F (13°C) and above 95°F (35°C). Root growth is most active when soil temperatures sit between 65 and 72°F. The plants do poorly in alkaline soils, which is why tea regions almost always have naturally acidic ground, often volcanic or high in organic matter.
In tropical countries, tea grows at high elevations where temperatures stay moderate year-round. In subtropical and temperate areas, it can grow closer to sea level. This is why you find tea at 2,700 meters in Kenya but at just 45 meters in Assam. The common thread is consistent warmth, reliable rainfall (typically 1,200 mm or more per year), and soil that drains well enough to prevent root rot.
Tea Growing in Unexpected Places
A small number of commercial tea operations exist far from the traditional growing belt. In England, the Tregothnan estate in Cornwall has been growing tea since the early 2000s, taking advantage of a mild microclimate warmed by the Gulf Stream along the Fal estuary. Researchers who surveyed the western fringe of Europe from Scotland to Morocco concluded that the optimum microclimate for tea on that coastline is centered on just 150 acres at Tregothnan. The estate now propagates young tea bushes in nursery gardens and has expanded to a second site near Truro. Plants need to reach 4 to 5 feet before they’re ready for their first harvest.
In the United States, the Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, has been producing American-grown tea for decades. Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest also host smaller tea farms. These operations remain tiny compared to Asian and African producers, but they demonstrate that the tea plant can adapt to a wider range of climates than most people assume.
How Climate Change Is Shifting Tea Zones
Rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall are already reshaping where tea can grow well. Climate models predict significant shifts in the suitability of current growing regions, particularly at lower elevations where heat stress is increasing. In Sri Lanka, cooler high-altitude zones produce better-quality tea but lower yields, a tradeoff that may intensify as warming pushes optimal growing conditions further uphill.
For smallholder farmers, who grow the majority of the world’s tea, the practical impact is real: planting zones that were productive a generation ago may become marginal within decades. Research institutions in Kenya and China are developing heat-tolerant and drought-resistant plant varieties to help growers adapt, and climate suitability models are being used to identify which areas will remain viable for cultivation under future temperature scenarios.