International Tea Day 2027 is on Friday, May 21, 2027. The United Nations designated May 21 in 2019 to recognize tea’s role in rural development, poverty reduction, and food security, with FAO leading the observance.
International Tea Day 2027 is the eighth UN observance of the day since it was first held on Thursday, May 21, 2020. There are two International Tea Days. The UN date is May 21.
An older observance on December 15 was started in New Delhi in 2005 by trade unions and civil-society groups in tea-producing countries, and 11 countries still mark it.
This page gives both dates for 2027 to 2031 with their weekdays, the UN resolution behind May 21, the tea-production figures FAO publishes for the day, and how the observance differs from national tea days.
Table of Contents
When is International Tea Day 2027?
International Tea Day 2027 falls on Friday, May 21, 2027. The date is fixed by UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/74/241, so it is May 21 every year and only the weekday changes.
The table below lists the UN date and the December 15 observance for the next five years, with weekdays.
| Year | UN International Tea Day (May 21) | December 15 International Tea Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Friday, May 21, 2027 | Wednesday, December 15, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, May 21, 2028 | Friday, December 15, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, May 21, 2029 | Saturday, December 15, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, May 21, 2030 | Sunday, December 15, 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, May 21, 2031 | Monday, December 15, 2031 |
In 2027 the UN observance falls on a Friday, the last working day before the weekend in most countries. In 2028 it falls on a Sunday, and events such as FAO’s at its Rome headquarters are usually held on the nearest working day in those years.
International Tea Day 2027 in other languages
International Tea Day has an official name in each of the six UN languages. The table below lists them, with Hindi and Japanese added for two major tea-drinking countries.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | International Tea Day |
| Chinese | 国际茶日 (Guójì Chá Rì) |
| Spanish | Día Internacional del Té |
| French | Journée internationale du thé |
| Russian | Международный день чая |
| Arabic | اليوم الدولي للشاي |
| Hindi | अंतर्राष्ट्रीय चाय दिवस |
| Japanese | 国際お茶の日 |
China is the world’s largest tea producer, accounting for nearly half of global output.
What does International Tea Day commemorate?
International Tea Day commemorates the long history and the cultural and economic importance of tea, and its role in rural development, poverty reduction and food security (FAO).
The UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/241 on Saturday, December 21, 2019, and asked the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to lead the observance.
How the May 21 date was proposed
The proposal came from India. The Indian government raised it in 2015 through the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea, the intergovernmental forum for tea-producing and tea-consuming countries (Wikipedia).
The group argued for raising demand in producing countries, where tea consumption per person is low, and for reversing falling consumption in traditional importing countries (United Nations). The General Assembly accepted the proposal four years later.
International Tea Day themes
FAO sets a theme each year. Sources differ on the most recent one:
- FAO gives the 2026 theme as “Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities”.
- The UN observance page shows “Tea for Better Lives” as its current theme. It may not yet have been updated for 2026.
The International Tea Day 2027 theme had not been announced as of October 7, 2026. FAO usually publishes the theme in the months before May. This page will be updated when the 2027 theme is confirmed.
How FAO marked the 2026 observance
FAO held the 2026 event on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00 Central European Summer Time at its Rome headquarters. The programme included cultural performances, tea tastings and sessions on tea traditions from participating countries (FAO).
FAO promotes the day with the hashtags #InternationalTeaDay, #TeaDay and #FarmedWithCare.
Tea production figures behind International Tea Day
Tea supports more than 13 million people, including smallholder farmers and their households, and smallholders grow about 60 percent of the world’s tea (FAO; FAO Director-General). The table below lists the main figures FAO published for the 2026 observance.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World tea production | About 7.3 million tonnes (2025 estimate) | FAO |
| Annual market value | About USD 19.5 billion to USD 20 billion | FAO |
| Annual value of tea trade | About USD 9.4 billion to USD 9.5 billion | FAO |
| World tea imports | About 2.0 million tonnes (2025) | FAO |
| Share grown by smallholders | About 60 percent | FAO |
| People supported | More than 13 million | FAO |
| Growth in consumption per person | 2.1 percent a year over the past decade | FAO |
FAO’s own pages give the value figures in two slightly different roundings, USD 19.5 billion and USD 20 billion for the market, and USD 9.4 billion and USD 9.5 billion for trade. Both are shown above. FAO describes tea as the most consumed drink in the world after water.
Largest tea-producing countries
China, India and Kenya are the three largest tea producers. The table below gives their 2023 output (DevelopmentAid, citing FAO and industry data).
| Rank | Country | 2023 production | Share of 2023 world total (6.7 million tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 3.25 million tonnes | About 49 percent |
| 2 | India | 1.37 million tonnes | About 20 percent |
| 3 | Kenya | 570,000 tonnes | About 9 percent |
The 2023 world total of 6.7 million tonnes and FAO’s 2025 estimate of 7.3 million tonnes come from different years. The shares above use the 2023 total, so all three figures in each row cover the same year.
How International Tea Day is observed
International Tea Day is observed through FAO events, government and industry programmes in producing countries, and promotion by tea boards and retailers. Practice differs between the two observance dates.
- May 21 (UN): FAO leads the global programme, and national tea boards in producing countries hold events on the same day. Consuming countries mostly mark it through retail promotions and tea-industry campaigns.
- December 15 (trade union origin): The day was launched in New Delhi in 2005 by Indian and Sri Lankan groups. They included the Centre for Education and Communication, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the New Trade Union Initiative, the United Trade Union Congress, Sri Lanka’s Institute of Social Development and the Red Flag Union. This observance focuses on the wages and working conditions of tea workers and growers.
The December 15 observance is marked in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda and Tanzania. All 11 are tea-producing countries.
What International Tea Day is not
International Tea Day is a UN observance about tea as a global crop and livelihood. It is not a national tea day, and it is not the same as the December 15 workers’ observance. Several tea and drinks days are easy to confuse. The table below separates them.
| Observance | Date | Designated by | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Tea Day (UN) | May 21 | UN General Assembly, A/RES/74/241 (2019) | Sustainable production, livelihoods, food security |
| International Tea Day (December) | December 15 | Trade unions and civil-society groups, New Delhi (2005) | Tea workers’ wages and conditions |
| National Tea Day (United Kingdom) | April 21 | The Tea Group (2015) | Tea drinking in the UK |
| International Coffee Day | October 1 | International Coffee Organization | Coffee, not tea |
The UK’s National Tea Day falls on Wednesday, April 21, 2027, one month before the UN date (Wikipedia). It was created in 2015 by The Tea Group and has no UN or government status.
International Tea Day is one of several UN days in spring linked to food, farming and the environment. Earth Day 2027 falls on Thursday, April 22, the day after the UK’s National Tea Day, and World Environment Day 2027 follows on Saturday, June 5. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2027 on Sunday, May 9 comes 12 days before International Tea Day.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there two International Tea Days?
There are two because the December 15 date came first and the UN later chose a different day. Trade unions and civil-society groups started the December 15 observance in New Delhi in 2005. The UN General Assembly designated May 21 in December 2019, and FAO has led that observance since 2020. Both are still observed.
Who created International Tea Day?
The UN General Assembly created the May 21 observance by adopting resolution A/RES/74/241 on December 21, 2019. India proposed it in 2015 through the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea. The earlier December 15 date was set up in 2005 by Indian and Sri Lankan trade unions and civil-society organisations.
What is the International Tea Day 2027 theme?
The 2027 theme had not been announced as of October 7, 2026. FAO sets a new theme each year and usually confirms it in the months before May. FAO’s theme for 2026 was “Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities”, while the UN observance page lists “Tea for Better Lives” as its current theme.
Is International Tea Day a public holiday?
No. International Tea Day is a UN observance, not a public holiday, and no country closes offices or schools for it. In 2027 it falls on a Friday, May 21, a normal working day in most countries. Events are run by FAO, governments, tea boards and businesses rather than declared by law.
Which country produces the most tea?
China produces the most tea, about 3.25 million tonnes in 2023, close to half of the world total of 6.7 million tonnes that year. India was second with about 1.37 million tonnes and Kenya third with about 570,000 tonnes. Smallholder farmers grow around 60 percent of the world’s tea, according to FAO.
Is National Tea Day the same as International Tea Day?
No. The UK’s National Tea Day is on April 21 and was created by The Tea Group in 2015 to promote tea drinking in Britain. International Tea Day is on May 21 and was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2019. In 2027, National Tea Day falls on Wednesday, April 21, exactly one month before International Tea Day.
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