Posts performing well; parcel volumes continue to grow, while letters remain stable
Over the past five years, mail and parcel volumes defied predictions to remain buoyant, according to the latest figures obtained by the Universal Postal Union.
With 6.5 billion items in 2007, domestic parcel volumes were up 7.9% on 2002. Over the same period, international volumes rose 1.4% to reach 44 million items in 2007. The increases are thought to be due in part to the growth of e-commerce, with the majority of online purchases still remaining within borders.
Worldwide domestic letter-post volumes grew by 0.3% between 2002 and 2007, reaching 433 billion pieces last year. Generally, advertising mail has a positive impact on mail volumes and is estimated to make up more than 30% of overall volumes. Meanwhile, international letter-post, which faces stiff competition from new technologies, experienced a 2.6% volume decrease during the same period, with a total of 5.5 billion items in 2007.
The level of development among Posts is not the same worldwide. In his message for World Post Day, celebrated tomorrow 9 October, Edouard Dayan, UPU director general, is calling upon all member countries of the Universal Postal Union, and their operators designated to provide the universal service, to make a firm commitment, with all other postal sector players, to modernizing postal services, so that they continue to contribute fully to economic and social development.
“Owing to their universality, postal services provide a link between people all over the globe. This is especially important at a time when millions of people do not enjoy the right to communication. In a constantly changing world, postal services make it possible to establish and maintain this contact and this link, both of which are vital,” he said.
Created in 1874, the UPU is this year celebrating its 60th anniversary as a UN specialized agency. The international organization responsible for international postal services promotes the development of postal markets, ensures the interconnection of its 191 member countries’ postal networks and supports their efforts to modernize postal services and improve the quality of service.