Tea beverage market size set to double that of coffee

China's tea drinking market is expected to exceed 400 billion yuan ($56.8 billion) by the end of this year, which will be double the market size of coffee by then, a new report said on Thursday.

The report shows a trend in China where tea beverages featuring freshly cut fruit, sweet cheese toppings and freshly brewed tea are appealing to a rising number of consumers.

According to the report published by the research institute of tech media 36Kr and tea beverage leader Nayuki, young consumers aged 21 to 30 years old represent the main purchasing power behind tea drinks by accounting for over half of the total consumers.

Up to 83 percent of the consumers buy five to 14 cups of tea per month. Some 72 percent spend more than 200 yuan on such tea beverages every month, the report said.

"The tea beverage market is also evolving with the consumption wave. An increasing number of people tend to pursue healthy tea beverages," said Peng Xin, founder of Nayuki.

The latest data from Nayuki showed that sales of the firm's sugar-free tea series surpassed tea with cheese for the first time in four years.

As female consumers accounted for the majority of tea drinkers, Peng noted the great potential yet to be tapped among male consumers.