Tea leaves — Production in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Tea leaves — Production was 1.51 million t in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Tea leaves — Production in Sri Lanka, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 1.51 million t for tea leaves — production in 2024.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tea leaves — production in Sri Lanka peaked at 1.81 million t in 2013 and was at its lowest, 179,287 t, in 1983.
Sri Lanka ranks 5th of 45 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tea leaves — Production in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 206,488 t | — |
| 1962 | 211,850 t | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 219,798 t | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 218,513 t | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 228,236 t | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 222,312 t | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 220,742 t | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 224,803 t | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 219,639 t | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 212,210 t | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 217,773 t | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 208,858 t | -4.1% |
| 1973 | 211,285 t | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 204,037 t | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 213,928 t | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 196,606 t | -8.1% |
| 1977 | 208,572 t | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 198,780 t | -4.7% |
| 1979 | 208,417 t | +4.8% |
| 1980 | 191,375 t | -8.2% |
| 1981 | 210,148 t | +9.8% |
| 1982 | 187,816 t | -10.6% |
| 1983 | 179,287 t | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 208,058 t | +16.0% |
| 1985 | 214,094 t | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 211,276 t | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 213,327 t | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 226,952 t | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 206,987 t | -8.8% |
| 1990 | 233,165 t | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 1.05 million t | +349.0% |
| 1992 | 778,000 t | -25.7% |
| 1993 | 1.01 million t | +29.6% |
| 1994 | 1.05 million t | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 1.07 million t | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 1.12 million t | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 1.20 million t | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 1.22 million t | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.23 million t | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.33 million t | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 1.28 million t | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 1.35 million t | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 1.32 million t | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 1.34 million t | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.38 million t | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 1.35 million t | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 1.33 million t | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 1.39 million t | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 1.26 million t | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 1.76 million t | +39.6% |
| 2011 | 1.75 million t | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.76 million t | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 1.81 million t | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.81 million t | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.76 million t | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.57 million t | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 1.63 million t | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 1.50 million t | -8.0% |
| 2019 | 1.49 million t | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 1.50 million t | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1.80 million t | +20.0% |
| 2022 | 1.40 million t | -22.2% |
| 2023 | 1.50 million t | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 1.51 million t | +1.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 1.51 million t is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,600 t, 582.3× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tea leaves — Production in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +349.0% | 233,165 t | 1.05 million t |
| 2010 | +39.6% | 1.26 million t | 1.76 million t |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 219,153 t | 206,488 t | 228,236 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 208,047 t | 196,606 t | 217,773 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 204,932 t | 179,287 t | 226,952 t | 10 |
| 1990s | 996,816 t | 233,165 t | 1.23 million t | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.33 million t | 1.26 million t | 1.39 million t | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.68 million t | 1.49 million t | 1.81 million t | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.54 million t | 1.40 million t | 1.80 million t | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 2 China, mainland 16.26 million t compare
- 3 India 6.16 million t compare
- 3 Türkiye 1.41 million t compare
- 4 Kenya 2.69 million t compare
- 4 Viet Nam 1.15 million t compare
- 5 United Republic of Tanzania 128,783 t compare
- 6 Indonesia 658,000 t compare
- 6 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 79,997 t compare
- 7 Bangladesh 437,652 t compare
- 8 Uganda 414,945 t compare
- 8 Melanesia 32,399 t compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tea leaves — production in Sri Lanka?
- Tea leaves — production in Sri Lanka was 1.51 million t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest tea leaves — production recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 1.81 million t in 2013.
- What is the lowest tea leaves — production recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 179,287 t in 1983.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for tea leaves — production?
- Sri Lanka ranks 5th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tea leaves — production rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Tea leaves — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.