Lifetime cups of tea

Tea counts towards your fluid. Here is how much of your daily fluid it gives you, and the baths of tea you have drunk.

Your details

Cups of tea a day
Cup size
Other drinks a day
Years

Tea towards your 6 to 8 glasses

63%

1.5 litres of drinks a day, 94% of 8 glasses of 200 ml

  • Tea in 50 years18,263 litres
  • Baths of tea228 (80 litres each)

The NHS counts tea and coffee towards the 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day (about 1.2 to 2 litres). Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but the water in a cup more than makes up for it. Drink more in hot weather or when active.

See a GP if you are always thirsty, or pee much more or less than usual.

The working

4 cups of 250 ml, plus 500 ml of other drinks

Four cups is a litre, 63% of 8 glasses of 200 ml (1.6 litres). With 500 ml of other drinks you reach 1.5 litres, 94%. Over 50 years that is 18,263 litres of tea, about 228 baths of 80 litres.

What counts

NHS guidance

  • Water, lower fat milk and sugar free drinks
  • Tea and coffee
  • Fruit juice and smoothies, up to 150 ml a day
  • Food gives about a fifth of your water too

Caffeine

Does tea dehydrate you?

Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but the water in a cup of tea more than makes up for it, so tea hydrates you overall. If you are pregnant, keep caffeine under 200 mg a day, about 2 mugs of tea and 1 of coffee.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Know your needsHeat, activity and illness change them.
  • Count food waterSoup, fruit and veg add more.
  • Judge your tea habitIt is a good one.

Questions

Common questions

Does tea count as water?

Yes, the NHS counts tea and coffee towards your daily fluid.

How much should I drink a day?

6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day, more in hot weather or when active.

How many cups of tea do Brits drink?

Estimates suggest around 100 million cups a day across the UK.

How do I know I am drinking enough?

Pale straw coloured pee is a good sign.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Thirst and peeing

See a GP if you are always thirsty, are peeing much more or less than usual, or have very dark pee that does not clear with drinking.

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