End of an Era: Denmark's Postal Service Shuts Down Letter Deliveries Amid Digital Shift

Denmark’s state-run postal service, PostNord, has announced that it will cease all letter deliveries by the end of 2025, marking the end of a letter service that has been in place for 400 years. This drastic measure is attributed to a staggering 90% decline in letter volumes since the early 2000s. As a result, the service will start removing 1,500 post boxes across the country beginning in June 2023.

The Transport Minister, Thomas Danielsen, has sought to reassure citizens that sending and receiving letters will still be possible through a competitive market. However, the change reflects a broader trend in Europe, where postal services like Germany’s Deutsche Post are also facing similar declines, leading to significant job cuts.

The transition towards a digital society in Denmark has been marked by a significant decrease in letter usage; from 1.4 billion letters per year at the start of the century to only 110 million last year. With 95% of the population utilizing the Digital Post service, the demand for physical mail has plummeted, disproportionately affecting the elderly and those reliant on regular mail for essential communications such as appointments and healthcare notifications.

PostNord, which already has a workforce of 4,600, will see around 1,500 jobs at risk due to this transition. Critics have pointed to the impact of privatization and the new Postal Act in 2024 that opens the letter market to private competition, further complicating the situation. The rising costs of postage, influenced by the introduction of VAT on mail services, have also contributed to the decline in letter sendings, as the cost of sending a letter rises to approximately 29 Danish krone.

PostNord will shift its focus towards parcel deliveries, responding to the growing demand in that sector. This decision highlights the broader implications of evolving communication practices in a rapidly digitizing world.