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Denmark’s letter deliveries began in 1624

Denmark’s state-run postal service, PostNord, announced that it will cease all letter deliveries by the end of 2025, due to a significant decline in letter volumes. The decline is cited at around 90% since the turn of the century. This marks the end of four centuries of the letter service provided by PostNord.

As part of the decision, Denmark’s 1,500 postboxes will start to be phased out starting from June. Despite the shift, Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen reassured the public that letters can still be sent and received nationwide. A private company has expressed interest in taking over the delivery services.

The decline in letter volumes is a common issue across Europe. Germany’s postal service, Deutsche Post, also announced layoffs of 8,000 employees due to reduced letter volumes, aiming to carry out the move in a “socially responsible manner.”

Deuitche Post, which has 187,000 employees, operates with concerns about further cuts. Denmark maintained a universal postal service for 400 years until the end of 2023, but the adoption of digital mail services has led to a dramatic decrease in letter use.

The decline in letter numbers is evident, shrinking from 1.4 billion to 110 million over the past year. This shift is particularly concerning for the elderly demographic, as 95% of Danes use the Digital Post service while 271,000 people still rely on physical mail.

Danish MP Pelle Dragsted attributed the change to privatization and expressed concerns about the effect on remote communities. PostNord, for its part, stated that approximately 1,500 employees will lose their jobs out of a workforce of 4,600.

The company planned to direct its focus toward parcel deliveries and advised that any postage stamps bought in 2025 or 2026 can be refunded for a limited period next year. CEO Kim Pedersen remarked that the Danish population has increasingly shifted to digital media, leading to a 30% decrease in letter volumes over the past year alone. PostNord operates in both Denmark and Sweden, owned 40% by Danish shareholders and 60% by Swedish ones.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg8jllq283o