Denmark has taken a step that until recently seemed unthinkable: according to the British media, is preparing to become the first in Europe to stop delivering and collecting letters on a general basis. The set date is December 30, 2025, a turning point that comes after an abrupt drop in the use of traditional mail and a legislative change that has ended up ruling its continuity.
The main trigger has been the 90 percent decrease in the volume of letters sent in a quarter of a century. In 2024 alone there was a 30 percent drop, a decline that PostNord, the state postal service, considers irreversible. Added to this is a new law that eliminated the obligation to offer services universally and at affordable prices, in addition to eliminating the VAT exemption. The effect was immediate: sending a standard letter started to cost 29 crowns, that is, about 4.50 euros. For many Danes, that amount made the letter an unviable means of communication.
The Economist explains that this situation is part of a global trend. As email, instant messaging and social platforms proliferate, the volume of letters has fallen in virtually every country. The pandemic further accelerated the transition to the digital environment by encouraging teleworking, reducing face-to-face interactions and multiplying online procedures. In parallel, electronic commerce has grown to record levels: in 2022, 161 billion packages were sent around the world, a figure that could reach 256 billion in 2027.
While some postal operators have managed to transform their model, others are faltering. The Economist recalls that privatized or partially privatized companies, such as Malta Post or Poste Italiane, have diversified their activity with financial services and insurance. In contrast, the British Royal Mail continues to accumulate losses. Even in large markets, such as the United States, the economic pressure is intense: the USPS lost nine billion dollars in a single year.
In the Danish case, the advance of digitalization has been decisive. For four years, the country has led the United Nations ranking in digitalization of the public sector. In the words of Kim Pedersen, CEO of PostNord, “the fewer letters sent, the higher the unit processing costs,” a vicious circle that has ended up making the service unviable.
With the removal of the emblematic red mailboxes, which will go on display in museums, Denmark opens a debate on the future of mail in Europe. Experts do not rule out that other countries follow the same path in the next decadeespecially those with high levels of digitalization. In a world where paper is losing ground, package logistics is emerging as the true backbone of the postal sector of the future.
