Turkey
A major producer that exports almost none of what it grows. Tea was established on the eastern Black Sea coast around Rize in the twentieth century using seed from neighbouring Georgia, on steep, wet, frost-free slopes where little else grew well, and the crop is now the backbone of one of the highest per-head tea-drinking cultures anywhere. The leaf is hand-plucked comparatively coarsely and made as black tea, which suits the brewing method it is made for.
TürkiyeWestern Asia1 growing region1 teas in the catalogueAlso called Türkiye
History on this page: TeaHQ synthesis
TeaHQ's own reading of well-attested general knowledge, with no single source behind it.
This country’s description dates the establishment or the collapse of an industry. The label says on what basis — it governs the historical statements, not the production figures below, which carry their own definitions and sources.
Production, trade and price
| Measure | Year | Value | Basis | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumption | 2024 | 280,000 t modelled | FAO's Tea Country Balance Sheet (TCBS) system, as reported in FAO's 2026 beverage price study. TCBS counts MADE TEA — finished, dried, processed tea — which is why FAO's 7.1 million tonne world total here is roughly a fifth of the 31.4 million tonnes the FAOSTAT crop series records for green leaf. Apparent consumption of MADE TEA — a balance-sheet residual of production plus imports minus exports and stock change, not a survey of what people drank. Türkiye's consumption — very large relative to its population, and almost entirely met from its own crop. The report prints this to the stated precision and no further; it is a rounded published figure, not a count. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome |
| Production | 2024 | 1,414,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Harvested area | 2023 | 79,198 ha | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Area harvested' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in hectares. FAO's methodology note warns that for permanent crops such as tea 'data may refer to total planted area' rather than area actually harvested, so this is the area under tea and not necessarily the area picked in the year. The associated crop is measured as green leaf. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2023 | 1,356,556 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea. It is roughly four to five times the made-tea figure the same country's tea board publishes. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Yield | 2023 | 17,129 kg/ha | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Yield' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in kilograms per hectare, computed by FAO from the production and area figures rather than reported directly. Because production is GREEN LEAF and the area may be planted rather than harvested, this is green-leaf yield per hectare planted and is not comparable with a made-tea yield. FAO states that yields of permanent crops 'are not as reliable as those for temporary crops'. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Consumption | 2022 | 250,021 t modelled | FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea Secretariat figure, MADE TEA. Published in tonnes exactly as printed. Consumption here is apparent disappearance from the IGG's own balance, not a survey of what anyone drank. FAO IGG/Tea Secretariat data, complete to 2022; the paper's 2023 commentary is preliminary and is not recorded. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Group on Tea, Rome |
| Production | 2022 | 1,269,546 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2021 | 1,453,964 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2020 | 1,450,556 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2019 | 1,407,448 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2018 | 1,480,534 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2017 | 1,300,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2016 | 1,350,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2015 | 1,327,934 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2014 | 1,266,311 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2013 | 1,180,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2012 | 1,250,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2011 | 1,231,141 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2010 | 1,305,566 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2009 | 1,103,340 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2008 | 1,100,257 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2007 | 1,145,321 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2006 | 1,121,206 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2005 | 1,192,004 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2004 | 1,105,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2003 | 869,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2002 | 791,700 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2001 | 824,946 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 2000 | 758,038 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1999 | 1,095,532 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1998 | 978,589 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1997 | 752,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1996 | 600,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1995 | 523,465 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1994 | 654,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1993 | 578,500 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1992 | 724,383 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1991 | 682,858 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1990 | 122,754 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1989 | 136,530 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1988 | 153,160 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1987 | 140,680 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1986 | 148,305 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1985 | 137,116 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1984 | 113,701 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1983 | 100,982 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1982 | 68,038 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1981 | 42,606 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1980 | 95,889 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1979 | 101,955 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1978 | 86,206 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1977 | 77,592 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1976 | 59,547 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1975 | 55,572 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1974 | 42,781 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1973 | 43,202 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1972 | 46,500 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1971 | 33,585 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1970 | 33,431 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1969 | 34,373 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1968 | 27,557 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1967 | 21,786 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1966 | 23,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1965 | 13,000 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1964 | 10,035 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1963 | 10,100 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1962 | 8,259 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
| Production | 1961 | 5,450 t | FAOSTAT QCL element 'Production' for item 667 / CPC 01620 'Tea leaves', in tonnes. FAO's QCL methodology note states the domain 'contains production data for primary products', so this counts GREEN LEAF as plucked, not made tea, and runs roughly four to five times the made-tea figure a national tea board publishes for the same year. Every point in this series is on that one basis, which is what makes the series comparable with itself and not with a tea board's. FAOSTAT flags this cell A, an official figure reported by the country. | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division |
Figures are reproduced as their publisher stated them and are not converted, averaged or ranked. Where two publishers disagree, both rows appear — these come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Group on Tea, Rome. The largest single trap in tea statistics is that FAO’s series counts green leaf as plucked while national tea boards count finished made tea, and the two differ by roughly a factor of four and a half. The basis column says which each row is, and a figure without it is not comparable to one with it.
How production is organised
Smallholder throughout, on very small, very steep family plots, selling into a system where a large state-owned enterprise buys and processes alongside private factories. Purchase quotas and a support price are central facts of the industry rather than background: they determine how much of each grower's leaf is bought and at what, which is why Turkish tea is a rural income policy as much as it is a crop.
How firm this is: Inferred by TeaHQ from general knowledge of the trade rather than taken from a source that states it. The smallholder structure and the role of the state enterprise are consistently reported. Quota and price arrangements change annually and none is stated here.
What it produces
Almost entirely black tea from smallholdings along the eastern Black Sea coast, processed by a state enterprise and a private sector and sold overwhelmingly into the domestic market.
How firm this is: Inferred by TeaHQ from general knowledge of the trade rather than taken from a source that states it. The domestic orientation and the concentration around Rize are well established; production volumes were not verified against a primary source.
What it is known for
The categories this country is most associated with. Being known for a category is a fact about reputation and volume rather than about quality.
- Black tea — Tea taken deliberately through full enzymatic oxidation, giving the dark leaf, amber-to-red liquor and malty or brisk character most Western drinkers think of as simply 'tea'.
Growing regions in Turkey
Named districts with their own elevation, climate and character. Elevation figures are recorded as ranges because sources disagree on where a district begins and ends.
This country in the chronology
Events on TeaHQ’s timeline that happened here or turned on this country. Each carries its date together with what kind of date it is.
- From the 1920s, with production established from the 1940s — Turkey plants tea at Rize, and becomes a tea nation
How tea is drunk here
Turkish tea is brewed in a stacked double pot — a concentrate in the upper vessel, water below — and diluted to strength in the glass, described as açık (light) or koyu (dark). The tulip glass is standard and the tea is drunk without milk.
Teas from Turkey
Sources
- TeaHQ editorial synthesis — TeaHQ
Everything on this page is TeaHQ’s own synthesis of widely-attested trade and production background. No external document stands behind it, which is why the statements here describe practice rather than assert measurements.
Written comparisons
Where TeaHQ has set this producing country against something it is routinely confused with, and argued the differences out in full.
- Georgia vs Turkey as tea origins — Two Black Sea tea industries with opposite twentieth-century histories. Turkey’s was built up and has run continuously; Georgia’s was one of the Soviet Union’s largest and collapsed almost entirely in the 1990s, and what exists now is a reconstruction.
- Turkey vs Iran as tea origins — Two of the world’s largest tea-consuming countries, both growing almost all of what they drink on a narrow rain-shadowed coastal strip, and both nearly invisible in export markets. They are the clearest case of tea industries built entirely around a domestic drinking culture.