Yes, black tea has caffeine. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) puts a 220mL cup at about 50mg in its 2015 figures, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists 71mg for a 12-fluid-ounce serving in its 2024 update. In EFSA's figures, black tea has about half the caffeine of filter coffee per 100mL (calculated), with the coffee at 90mg in a 200mL cup.
Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition (8th revised edition, 2023) records its black tea value together with the brewing conditions behind it. Those conditions matter: as with caffeine in tea generally, cup size, the amount of leaf and steeping time all change how much caffeine a cup holds.
How much caffeine is in a cup of black tea?
Black tea's caffeine content depends on the cup: about 50mg in EFSA's 220mL cup (2015), and 71mg in the FDA's 12 fl oz serving (2024). Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition (8th revised edition, 2023), restated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), lists 30mg per 100mL for tea brewed from 5g of leaf in 360mL of boiling water for 1.5 to 4 minutes. Cup size and brewing strength help explain the difference.
The official numbers side by side
The sources use different serving sizes, so the last column restates the figures per 100mL where possible.
| Source (year) | Amount as stated | Caffeine | Per 100mL (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition, 8th revised edition (2023), restated per 100mL by MAFF | 100mL of tea brewed from 5g of leaf in 360mL of boiling water for 1.5 to 4 minutes | 30mg | 30mg |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central, SR Legacy (2019) | 100g of brewed tea | 20mg | 20mg (an 8 fl oz cup of 237g works out to about 47mg) |
| EFSA (2015) | One cup, 220mL | 50mg | About 23mg |
| FDA (2024) | 12 fl oz (about 355mL) | 71mg | About 20mg |
| Health Canada (2025) | 8 oz (237mL), black or green tea | 30 to 50mg | About 13 to 21mg |
| The UK's National Health Service (NHS) (2026) | A cup of tea, for example black or green tea | 75mg | Not converted (no cup size given) |
Japan's table states 0.03g per 100g of edible portion; MAFF restates that value as 30mg per 100mL. USDA gives its figures by weight, so our per-100mL conversions treat a gram of brewed tea as roughly a milliliter.
A 2008 analysis by Chin et al. found 14 to 61mg per serving of 6 or 8 ounces among brewed white, green and black teas. EFSA describes its figures as approximate because caffeine content and portion sizes vary within and between countries.
Why the numbers don't match
A “cup” refers to different volumes across these sources: EFSA uses 220mL, the FDA uses 12 fl oz, Health Canada uses 8 oz, and MAFF presents Japan's table per 100mL.
The tea inside those cups also depends on preparation, which Astill et al.'s 2001 study identified as a major determinant of the finished infusion's composition.
Japan's table makes its preparation explicit: 5g of leaf in 360mL of boiling water for 1.5 to 4 minutes. Its black tea value draws on six imported teas (Ceylon Dimbula, Darjeeling, Assam, Uva, Ruhuna and Kenya), and the table's tea analyses used mainly mid-grade teas.
The familiar figure of about 47mg for an 8 fl oz cup is a calculation: USDA's 20mg per 100g applied to its 237g cup. The calculation changes the serving size while holding the published strength constant. Chin et al.'s 2008 analysis found similar caffeine concentrations per ounce in most 6- and 8-ounce servings, so a larger serving of tea at the same strength holds more caffeine in total.
The figures below are calculated estimates at two published strengths. They show how much caffeine one cup holds, not how many cups to drink. Estimates at Japan's table strength assume that table's brewing conditions.
| Cup | At Japan's table strength (30mg per 100mL) | At USDA strength (20mg per 100g) |
|---|---|---|
| 150mL teacup | About 45mg | About 30mg |
| 8 fl oz (237mL) | About 71mg | About 47mg |
| 12 fl oz (355mL) | About 106mg | About 71mg (the FDA's figure) |
Black tea vs coffee, green tea and Matcha
Black tea contains less caffeine than brewed coffee in figures from the FDA (2024), EFSA (2015) and Health Canada (2025). Compared with green tea, black tea is usually higher in the FDA and USDA (2019) tables, though preparations differ and studies disagree on whether tea type makes a consistent difference. Per serving, MAFF's 2026 Matcha figure, 48mg from 1.5g of powder in 70mL of hot water, is about the same as EFSA's 50mg for a 220mL cup of black tea.
Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition (8th revised edition, 2023), restated by MAFF, lists the infusion values below; the Matcha row is MAFF's single serving made from powder.
| Drink | Caffeine | Preparation in the source |
|---|---|---|
| Black tea | 30mg per 100mL | 5g leaf, 360mL boiling water, 1.5 to 4 minutes |
| Brewed coffee | 60mg per 100mL | 10g coffee powder, 150mL boiling water |
| Sencha | 20mg per 100mL | 10g leaf, 430mL water, 90°C, 1 minute |
| Gyokuro | 160mg per 100mL | 10g leaf, 60mL water, 60°C, 2.5 minutes |
| Matcha | 48mg per serving | 1.5g powder dissolved in 70mL hot water |
Black tea vs coffee
In both Japan's table and EFSA's 2015 figures, coffee has about twice the caffeine of black tea per 100mL (calculated; EFSA's coffee figure is for filter coffee).
The FDA's August 2024 update compares 12 fl oz servings: 71mg for black tea, 113 to 247mg for regular brewed, non-specialty coffee. Health Canada's April 2025 values per 237mL are 30 to 50mg for black or green tea and 135mg for brewed coffee. Chin et al.'s 2008 analysis likewise found most brewed teas lower in caffeine per serving than brewed coffee. PubChem lists “theine” as another name for caffeine, the same compound in both drinks.
Black tea vs green tea and oolong
The FDA lists 37mg of caffeine in green tea per 12 fl oz, against 71mg for black tea. USDA's 2019 SR Legacy entries per 100g of brewed tea put caffeine in oolong tea at 16mg, between black (20mg) and green (12mg). Health Canada groups black and green tea together at 30 to 50mg per 237mL.
Oolong matches Sencha at 20mg per 100mL in Japan's table, brewed from 15g of leaf in 650mL of 90°C water for 30 seconds.
Studies disagree. Chin et al.'s 2008 analysis found no observable caffeine trend by type among brewed white, green and black teas. A 2025 analysis by Ayakdaş and Ağagündüz found black and yellow tea highest, significantly above green, white and oolong. The studies used different samples and brewing, so their results cannot be compared directly.
Which tea has the most caffeine?
Gyokuro leads the infused teas in Japan's table at 160mg per 100mL, brewed from 10g of leaf in 60mL of 60°C water for 2.5 minutes. That is more than five times black tea's 30mg per 100mL (calculated), with far more leaf in far less water.
MAFF's Matcha serving holds about the same caffeine as EFSA's cup of black tea, in a much smaller volume: per 100mL, its 48mg in 70mL works out to about 69mg (calculated). Caffeine in Matcha depends on the amount of powder and water.
The caffeine in Hojicha, often assumed to be low, sits at the same 20mg per 100mL as Sencha and oolong in Japan's table. Genmaicha is listed at 10mg per 100mL; both Hojicha and Genmaicha are brewed from 15g of leaf in 650mL of 90°C water for 30 seconds. Chin et al. (2008) detected no caffeine in the herbal teas it tested.
Do Earl Grey and other black teas differ in caffeine?
Earl Grey has caffeine because it is black tea, traditionally scented with natural bergamot oil, according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association. We have not found an official caffeine figure we can cite for Earl Grey or English Breakfast. Astill et al.'s 2001 study identifies both the leaf and the preparation method as influences on the infusion.
Earl Grey, English Breakfast and single-origin teas
Earl Grey's black tea is traditionally a blend of China teas, and English Breakfast a blend of Assam and Ceylon teas, according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association.
Neither Japan's table nor USDA's data has a separate Earl Grey entry that we could find. Japan's general black tea value itself draws on six teas, including Darjeeling and Assam.
Astill et al. found that variety, growing environment, manufacturing conditions and leaf grade (particle size) influence the leaf and infusion. A blend name alone tells you little about those factors when comparing types of black tea.
Japanese black tea (wakoucha)
For wakoucha, or Japanese black tea, we have yet to find an official caffeine figure to cite. Japan's table set its general black tea value from six imported teas: Ceylon Dimbula, Darjeeling, Assam, Uva, Ruhuna and Kenya.
As a reference point, Japan's general black tea value is 30mg per 100mL in MAFF's restatement of the table, for tea brewed from 5g of leaf in 360mL of boiling water for 1.5 to 4 minutes. At that strength, a 150mL cup works out to about 45mg. This is a calculation from the general black tea value under the table's brewing conditions, not a measurement of wakoucha, of Benifuuki black tea or of any FETC tea.
The factors Astill et al. identified, from variety and growing environment to brewing, apply to wakoucha as well. The general reference value gives us no basis for calling wakoucha higher or lower in caffeine than other black tea.
Some of the people who make wakoucha have appeared in our interview series. When BEHIND THE SIP profiled them in 2020, Sugita Tea Farm on the Makinohara Plateau in Shizuoka was growing organic black tea as well as conventionally grown Benifuuki black tea. The tea merchant Oguri Tea Farm was processing organic black tea alongside its green teas.
Decaf black tea
The FDA says decaffeinated coffees and teas have less caffeine than their regular versions but still contain some. Chin et al.'s 2008 analysis measured under 12mg per serving in decaf teas, while Health Canada's table lists 0mg in 8 oz (237mL). The sources differ on decaf: zero in one table, a small amount in the FDA statement and the brewed-tea analysis.
A product's own caffeine figure, where supplied, appears on its label.
What changes the caffeine in your cup
Preparation is a major determinant of what reaches your cup, according to Astill et al.'s 2001 study; it covers the amounts of tea and water, steeping time and stirring. Chin et al. (2008) found that steeping time affected caffeine concentration. In the 2025 study by Ayakdaş and Ağagündüz, longer brewing significantly raised caffeine levels.
Leaf, water and steeping time
In a 2015 study by Fernando and Soysa, caffeine came out of a Sri Lankan black tea made by the CTC (“crush, tear, curl”) method within a very short time of adding boiling water. The result is specific to that tea and preparation.
Milk and honey add no caffeine: USDA FoodData Central lists whole milk and honey at 0mg per 100g each. A cup of milk tea therefore holds the caffeine of the tea in it, and a stronger tea brew can hold more, consistent with Astill et al.'s findings on preparation. For the brewing method itself, see how to brew black tea.
Tea bags and loose leaf
No source we have found gives an official per-bag caffeine figure. In Astill et al.'s study, whether tea was bagged, and the bag's size and material, influenced the infusion, so bag format is part of the loose leaf tea vs tea bags comparison. Brewed in a pot, the tea also depends on the total amount of leaf and water.
One 2025 study, by Ayakdaş and Ağagündüz, found more caffeine from black tea in cup-sized bags than from loose leaf or teapot bags, though its summary does not give the amount of leaf. Where supplied, the amount of tea per bag can be checked on the box.
How much caffeine is too much?
Health agencies count caffeine from all sources. EFSA (2015) says up to 400mg a day, spread through the day, raises no safety concerns for healthy adults except pregnant women. The FDA (2024) describes 400mg a day as not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, while Health Canada (2025) recommends a maximum of 400mg a day for adults age 18 and over. Pregnancy figures are lower; children's figures are expressed per kilogram of body weight.
| Agency | Healthy adults | Pregnancy | Children and teens |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDA | 400mg a day for most adults, “not generally associated with negative effects” | Talk to your health care provider | — |
| EFSA | No safety concerns for healthy adults except pregnant women: up to 400mg a day spread through the day; single doses up to 200mg | Up to 200mg a day from all sources, spread through the day; no safety concerns for the fetus | Proposed safety level for habitual intake: 3mg per kg of body weight a day |
| Health Canada | Recommended daily maximum: 400mg, age 18 and over | Recommended daily maximum: 300mg when planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding | Recommended daily maximum: 2.5mg per kg of body weight, up to age 18, based on limited data |
| NHS | — | Advises no more than 200mg a day | — |
| American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) | — | Under 200mg a day “does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth” | — |
For black tea, EFSA lists about 50mg in a 220mL cup, while the FDA gives 71mg per 12 fl oz serving.
People differ in how long caffeine stays in the body. EFSA's plain-language summary, EFSA explains risk assessment: Caffeine (2015), names age, body weight, pregnancy, medication and liver health among the reasons. The FDA directs people concerned about a health condition or medication to their health care provider.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
EFSA says caffeine from all sources up to 200mg a day, spread across the day, raises no safety concerns for the fetus. The NHS, on its page reviewed June 2026, advises no more than 200mg a day during pregnancy.
ACOG's 2010 opinion, reaffirmed in 2026, says that moderate intake, less than 200mg a day, “does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth.” The relationship between caffeine and growth restriction remains undetermined, according to ACOG.
Health Canada's April 2025 guidance recommends a maximum of 300mg a day for people planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding. The FDA directs people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding to their health care provider.
For reference, EFSA's cup of black tea holds 50mg in 220mL, and the FDA's serving holds 71mg per 12 fl oz. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or midwife about caffeine.
Children and teens
EFSA proposes 3mg per kg of body weight a day for habitual caffeine intake by children and adolescents. Health Canada recommends a daily maximum of 2.5mg per kg of body weight up to age 18, based on limited data for children. If you have questions about your child's caffeine intake, ask their doctor.
Will black tea keep you awake?
Black tea's caffeine may affect sleep in some adults: EFSA states that single doses of 100mg may affect sleep duration and patterns, particularly close to bedtime. EFSA's risk-assessment summary says effects may begin 15 to 30 minutes after drinking and last a number of hours.
EFSA describes the half-life, the time the body takes to eliminate half the caffeine, as averaging about four hours in healthy adults, with a range of two to eight hours.
Even decaf tea, the FDA says, still contains some caffeine.
For us at FETC, a useful caffeine figure starts with the cup it describes: its size, the amount of leaf and the steeping time. A published value for tea brewed the same way then gives an estimate for that cup. Caffeine is only one of the black tea ingredients that brewing draws into the cup. The information here is general and is not a substitute for medical advice; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, talk to your doctor or midwife about caffeine.
References
- EFSA, Caffeine (topic page)
- FDA, Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? (updated August 2024)
- MEXT, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition): black tea, infusion (16044) (in Japanese)
- MAFF, About excessive caffeine intake (updated August 2026) (in Japanese)
- USDA FoodData Central, Beverages, tea, black, brewed (SR Legacy, 2019)
- Health Canada, Caffeine in Foods (updated April 2025)
- NHS, Foods to avoid in pregnancy (reviewed June 2026)
- Chin et al. (2008), Caffeine content of brewed teas, J Anal Toxicol
- Astill et al. (2001), Factors affecting the caffeine and polyphenol contents of black and green tea infusions, J Agric Food Chem
- PubChem, Caffeine (CID 2519)
- Ayakdaş and Ağagündüz (2025), Determination of L-theanine and caffeine contents in tea infusions, Foods
- UK Tea & Infusions Association, Varieties of tea
- Fernando and Soysa (2015), Extraction kinetics of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity during black tea brewing, Nutr J
- ACOG, Committee Opinion No. 462: Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy (2010, reaffirmed 2026)
- EFSA, EFSA explains risk assessment: Caffeine (2015)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does black tea have more caffeine than coffee?
In the cited agency figures, coffee is higher: Japan's table lists black tea at 30mg and brewed coffee at 60mg per 100mL, under different preparation conditions. EFSA's examples are about 50mg in 220mL of black tea and 90mg in 200mL of filter coffee; the FDA lists 71mg for black tea versus 113 to 247mg for regular brewed, non-specialty coffee per 12 fl oz.
Does black tea have more caffeine than green tea?
The FDA lists black tea at 71mg and green tea at 37mg per 12 fl oz, but preparation varies. Chin et al. (2008) found no consistent caffeine trend by tea type; Ayakdaş and Ağagündüz (2025) found black and yellow tea highest, above green, white and oolong. The samples and brewing differed, so the studies cannot be compared directly.
Which tea has the most caffeine?
Among infused teas in Japan's table, Gyokuro leads at 160mg per 100mL, brewed from 10g of leaf in 60mL of 60°C water for 2.5 minutes. That uses far more leaf in far less water than black tea, listed at 30mg per 100mL. MAFF's Matcha example is 48mg from 1.5g of powder in 70mL of hot water.
Does Earl Grey tea have caffeine?
Yes: Earl Grey is black tea, traditionally scented with bergamot oil according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association. We have not found an official Earl Grey caffeine figure to cite; cup size, leaf amount and steeping time affect the amount.
How much caffeine is in a black tea bag?
We have not found an official per-bag figure to cite. Leaf and water amounts and steeping time affect the infusion, and Astill et al. found that bag size and material also influenced it.
Does adding milk lower the caffeine in black tea?
Milk adds no caffeine: USDA lists whole milk at 0mg per 100g. Milk tea holds the caffeine of the tea in it, and a stronger tea brew can hold more.
Is decaf black tea caffeine-free?
Decaf tea is not necessarily caffeine-free: the FDA says it still contains some. Chin et al. (2008) measured under 12mg per serving, while Health Canada lists 0mg in 8 oz (237mL). A product's caffeine figure, where supplied, appears on its label.
Will black tea keep me awake at night?
It may affect sleep in some adults: EFSA says a single dose of 100mg may affect sleep duration and patterns, particularly close to bedtime. EFSA describes caffeine's half-life in healthy adults as averaging about four hours, with a range of two to eight hours.
How much caffeine do health agencies advise during pregnancy?
EFSA lists up to 200mg a day from all sources, spread across the day, while Health Canada recommends a maximum of 300mg a day for people planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding. ACOG says less than 200mg a day does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, but the relationship with growth restriction remains undetermined. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor or midwife about caffeine.
