Tea intake among adults in 185 countries between 1990 and 2018: population based study

Tea is the world's second most consumed beverage, yet comprehensive global data on intake patterns remain limited. Using individual-level dietary data from the Global Dietary Database 2018, encompassing 1224 surveys across 185 countries, we assessed tea intake among adults aged ≥20 years from 1990 to 2018, stratified by age, sex, education, and urbanicity. In 2018, estimated global mean intake was 6.18 cups/week (95% uncertainty interval: 5.66-6.82), with threefold regional variation ranging from 3.85 cups/week in Latin America and the Caribbean to 8.95 in the Middle East and North Africa. The highest national intakes were in Iran (17.46 cups/week), Japan (14.95), and Afghanistan (13.74). Intake increased modestly with age but showed minimal differences by sex, education, or urbanicity. Globally, estimated intake rose from 1990 to 2018 (estimated annual percentage change [EAPC]: 0.94%), with the largest regional increase in Southeast and East Asia (EAPC: 1.68%), driven primarily by China (EAPC: 3.04%), while traditionally high-consuming countries such as Georgia showed declining trends (EAPC: -5.91%). These findings highlight substantial global heterogeneity in tea consumption and provide a foundation for nutritional surveillance worldwide.