China Production By Province: Zhejiang

Zhejiang Province has been a leading tea-producing province in China for several consecutive years. It is known primarily for its green teas, including Longjing (West Lake).

WHAT IS ZHEJIANG’S ROLE IN CHINA TEA PRODUCTION?

 

Zhejiang Province produced 198,800 metric tons of tea in 2024, 5.3% of China’s national total, and the seventh-largest volume of any Chinese province, behind Yunnan, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Hunan.

Data source: China National Bureau of Statistics, provincial and regional tea production data, compiled by Firsd Tea North America. Reporting year: 2024 (2025 data not yet released).

 

HOW DOES ZHEJIANG COMPARE TO FUJIAN AND ANHUI, THE OTHER EASTERN BELT PROVINCES?

Zhejiang is the Eastern Belt’s second-largest producer. It accounted for 21.4% of the belt’s 927,400 metric ton total in 2024, behind Fujian (62.3%, 577,900 MT) and ahead of Anhui (16.2%, 150,700 MT). The Eastern Belt as a whole represents 24.8% of China’s national tea production. Zhejiang’s share of the belt has slipped from 25.2% in 2020, as Fujian’s output grew faster. Zhejiang’s production fell 1.4% year-over-year in 2024. Note: 2025 production data has not yet been published by the China National Bureau of Statistics as of this writing.

 

WHAT TRENDS ARE SHAPING ZHEJIANG’S TEA PRODUCTION?

 

Zhejiang is the Eastern Belt’s most stable producer, but also its slowest-growing. Its production has stayed within a narrow band of roughly 170,000 to 202,000 metric tons every year since 2015, and it is up 13% over that period, from 176,000 to 198,800 metric tons. From 2020 to 2024 it grew at a 1.4% compound annual rate, behind Anhui’s 2.1%, Fujian’s 8.4%, and the Eastern Belt’s 5.6%. Fujian rose 19.6% in 2024, while Anhui fell 13.0% and Zhejiang slipped 1.4%, just below its 2023 peak of 201,700 metric tons.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

What kind of tea is Zhejiang known for?
Primarily green tea, including Longjing (West Lake).

Is Zhejiang’s tea production growing or declining?
Roughly flat. Production has grown at a 1.4% four-year CAGR (2020 to 2024) and is up 13% since 2015, though it dipped in 2024.

 

Firsd Tea North America compiles China provincial tea production data from the China National Bureau of Statistics as part of its ongoing China Province Series. For sourcing inquiries on Hubei green tea, black tea, or dark tea, contact your Firsd Tea representative or visit firsdtea.com.