“The postal sector’s role in the digital economy and digital society – a global panorama” – 2025 edition
In our increasingly digital world, access to digital services and opportunities like e-commerce, e-government, digital financial services, and remote work and education are no longer a luxury. Digital engagement is becoming essential for full participation in society and the economy.
Despite these possibilities, digital divides between and within countries persist and around 2.6 billion people remain offline. Individuals living in rural and remote areas, women, the elderly, marginalized groups, micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and micro-entrepreneurs – are particularly digitally under-connected.
With over 650,000 post offices – most located in rural areas – the global postal network is the world’s most geographically extensive system of physical service contact points and the world’s most inclusive communications network.
This report shows that many Posts are already leveraging their infrastructure to provide digital services, fostering inclusion of marginalized populations and MSMEs, and contributing to bridging the digital divides at scale:
- 71% consider themselves providers of e-commerce services
- Over 70% offer at least one digital connectivity service
- 58% consider themselves providers of digital financial services
- 51% consider themselves providers of e-government services
- 11% consider themselves providers of digital health services
- 74% consider themselves providers of digital postal services
The latest UPU E-Commerce Guide 3rd edition provides a set of practical recommendations for postal organisations to consider in the development of their own e-commerce capabilities and services for domestic, regional and cross-border markets.
case studies are found here
Also included in the report, this postal industry technology radar gives an insight into the postal operators’ perception of new technological trends that could affect (positively or negatively) their digital postal business in the future. The areas perceived as having the highest potential impact in the latest edition are:
- Big data, data analytics and cloud computing technologies;
- Cyberattacks, cybersecurity standards and technologies;
- New payment technologies such as mobile wallets;
- Sensors applied to postal infrastructure (vehicles, mailboxes) – Internet of Things (IoT);
- Adoption of .POST as a secure and trusted interconnected platform.