The decision to cease letter deliveries reflects Denmark's rapid digitalization and poses challenges for the elderly and those in remote areas
Denmark to End 400-Year Letter Delivery Service by 2025
Denmark to End 400-Year Letter Delivery Service by 2025
PostNord cites massive drop in letter volumes as reason for the shift
In a historic shift, Denmark's state-run postal service, PostNord, announced it will end all letter deliveries by the end of 2025, a service that has been in operation since 1624. This decision follows a staggering 90% decrease in letter volumes since the dawn of the 21st century. Starting June 2025, Denmark's 1,500 post boxes will begin to vanish.
Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen aimed to reassure the populace, suggesting that letters will continue to be available through private market competition. This announcement comes as postal services across Europe also grapple with plummeting letter volumes; for instance, Germany's Deutsche Post revealed it’s letting go of 8,000 employees due to similar concerns.
Denmark has enjoyed a universal postal service for the past 400 years, but rapid adoption of digital solutions has led to a dramatic decline in traditional mail usage. In a stark statistic, letter volumes plummeted from 1.4 billion at the century's start to a mere 110 million last year.
The announcement has sparked sadness among employees, with Anders Raun Mikkelsen, a PostNord worker, expressing concerns for him and others who face an uncertain future. Despite 95% of Danes utilizing the Digital Post service, roughly 271,000 individuals still depend on physical mail, many of whom are elderly and reliant on regular letter deliveries for vital communications such as hospital appointments or care decisions.
Danish MP Pelle Dragsted criticized the privatization of postal services and highlighted the increased challenges faced by residents in remote areas. The upcoming Postal Act, effective 2024, will allow for competitive private providers in the letter delivery sector and removes VAT exemptions for mail, consequently raising postage costs.
As postage rates climb, with letters costing 29 Danish krone (£3.35; $4.20), PostNord's Managing Director Kim Pedersen noted that fewer consumers are likely to send letters. With the focus shifting toward parcel deliveries, PostNord also announced that stamps purchased in 2023 and 2024 will be refundable for a period in 2026. The company retains operations in Sweden, with a ownership split of 40% Danish and 60% Swedish.
Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen aimed to reassure the populace, suggesting that letters will continue to be available through private market competition. This announcement comes as postal services across Europe also grapple with plummeting letter volumes; for instance, Germany's Deutsche Post revealed it’s letting go of 8,000 employees due to similar concerns.
Denmark has enjoyed a universal postal service for the past 400 years, but rapid adoption of digital solutions has led to a dramatic decline in traditional mail usage. In a stark statistic, letter volumes plummeted from 1.4 billion at the century's start to a mere 110 million last year.
The announcement has sparked sadness among employees, with Anders Raun Mikkelsen, a PostNord worker, expressing concerns for him and others who face an uncertain future. Despite 95% of Danes utilizing the Digital Post service, roughly 271,000 individuals still depend on physical mail, many of whom are elderly and reliant on regular letter deliveries for vital communications such as hospital appointments or care decisions.
Danish MP Pelle Dragsted criticized the privatization of postal services and highlighted the increased challenges faced by residents in remote areas. The upcoming Postal Act, effective 2024, will allow for competitive private providers in the letter delivery sector and removes VAT exemptions for mail, consequently raising postage costs.
As postage rates climb, with letters costing 29 Danish krone (£3.35; $4.20), PostNord's Managing Director Kim Pedersen noted that fewer consumers are likely to send letters. With the focus shifting toward parcel deliveries, PostNord also announced that stamps purchased in 2023 and 2024 will be refundable for a period in 2026. The company retains operations in Sweden, with a ownership split of 40% Danish and 60% Swedish.
