Letter-post volumes are down, but other postal services are quickly filling in the gap, accordingto the UPU’s latest statistics for 2010 released today.
Letter-post still provides the bulk of global postal revenues, accounting for 46 per cent in2010 compared to 54 per cent in 2001. Global postal revenues generated at least $331 billion in2010, the world postal association said.
Though letter-post volumes are generally declining, they are booming in several developingcountries, however. For example, volumes soared in Lebanon and Albania during the 2001 to 2010period with increases of 281 per cent and 314 per cent respectively.
But high letter-post volumes do not go hand-in-hand with development, says José Ansón, aneconomist with the UPU. “For a long time, economic growth was helping boost letter-post volumes inindustrialised countries. Today, this close relationship between economic growth and postal trafficis not so evident,” he explained.
While the popularity of the letter diminishes, postal financial services, parcels andlogistics services, and other products have been on the increase, UPU statistician Matthias Helblepointed out. “As Posts diversify their activities, they either introduce new products and servicesor focus on expanding traditional ones. So, while revenues from letter post are decreasing, we seeupward trends in those generated by parcels, logistics and postal financial services over the last10 years,” Helble said.
Postal financial services comprised 17.3 per cent of global postal revenues in 2010, up 3.8per cent compared to 10 years ago. A case in point is Hungary’s Post, which reported that revenuesfrom these services increased 39 per cent between 2001 and 2010, reaching a 59 per cent share oftotal revenues in 2010.
Also parcel and logistics services now hold a more prominent share in global postal revenues.Posts saw a 7.7 per cent increase in these services between 2001 and 2010. In 2010, they accountedfor 15.7 per cent of global postal revenues, likely due to the growth of e-commerce.
Several countries reported more dramatic changes. Parcel and logistics services accounted for77 per cent of Philippine Post’s total revenues in 2010, a significant increase from its eight percent share of 2001’s revenues. Parcel and logistics services volumes leapt from three per cent ofIndia Post’s total revenues in 2001, to 40 per cent in 2010.
Though financial and parcel and logistics services are on the rise, the “other products”category generated the second highest percentage of global postal revenues. These products nowaccount for 21 per cent of global postal revenue, down from 25 per cent in 2001. Items in the “other products” category might include new electronic services and retail products.
Nearly 6.1 billion domestic and 43.6 million international parcels were sent in 2010, whileall mail accounted for 376 billion domestic pieces and 4.8 billion international piecesrespectively.
