Germany postal market letter volume
Germany postal market letter volume stood at 9.38 billion items in 2025, according to Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). It is one of the indicators in the Postal and parcel market table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2017 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Postal and parcel market table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total letter volume2 | 9.38 | 10.16 | 10.92 | 11.93 | 12.21 | 12.38 | 13.59 | 14.19 | 14.9 | |
| Deutsche Post Group | 8.2 | 8.92 | 9.51 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.59 | 11.69 | 12.16 | 12.9 | |
| Competitors | 1.19 | 1.24 | 1.41 | 1.73 | 1.81 | 1.79 | 1.9 | 2.03 | 2 |
Understanding germany postal market letter volume
Total letter volume aggregates all addressed written correspondence, transactional statements, and direct advertising mail processed across the German domestic postal network. This overarching measure combines items handled by Deutsche Post Group with those collected and delivered by independent, licensed commercial competitors. It strictly excludes merchandise packages, express shipments, and dedicated messenger errands, isolating document-based communication subject to national postal monitoring. Sibling rows divide this market aggregate between the established network provider and alternative market entrants.
Because the metric reflects annual reporting, seasonal variations from year-end greetings and periodic postal demand from civic ballots are absorbed into a single yearly sum. Evaluating year-on-year movement offers the most dependable perspective on structural communication habits, though retrospective revisions occasionally occur when survey coverage of smaller regional mail carriers is updated. Analysts should refrain from comparing item counts directly with monetary turnover figures, as adjustments in average postage rates and item weight profiles cause physical volume and commercial revenue to diverge.
Frequently asked questions
- Does total letter volume include unaddressed advertising leaflets?
- Official reporting covers addressed direct marketing alongside standard correspondence, but unaddressed door-to-door circulars handled outside licensed postal channels are excluded.
- How does this metric relate to parcel and express volumes?
- Letter volume counts lightweight written communications and flats, whereas parcel and express metrics track packaged freight and merchandise consignments managed through separate handling networks.
- Can letter volumes be compared directly with letter revenue?
- Volume figures capture physical items delivered without reflecting tariff adjustments, discounts, or postage adjustments that influence the corresponding revenue metric.