Denmark will end all national letter delivery at the end of December, marking a major shift in the country’s postal services.

The Danish postal service is ceasing mail delivery due to a dramatic decline in demand, with letter volume falling by more than 90 per cent since the start of the century.

The decision also affects Denmark’s traditional red mailboxes, with the country set to remove them and put them on display in museums.

In future, only parcels will be delivered as the postal operator shifts its business model toward parcel logistics.

With a sharp rise in online retail, there has been an increase in demand for faster parcel delivery.

PostNord says the change is designed to ensure the company’s long-term viability.

‘We want to become the preferred parcel service for Danes,’ the company told Bild. This change in strategy is intended to make the company future-proof.

Anyone wishing to continue sending letters will have to use branches of other private providers. 

PostNord also confirmed that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 can be refunded for a limited period in 2026.

Danish MP Pelle Dragsted has previously blamed privatisation for the move and complained it would disadvantage people living in remote areas, and the elderly.

The introduction of a new Postal Act in 2024 opened up the letter market to competition from private firms and mail is no longer exempted from VAT, resulting in higher postage costs.

‘When a letter costs 29 Danish krone (£3.35) there will be fewer letters,’ PostNord Denmark’s Managing Director, Kim Pedersen, told local media in March.

Denmark’s move reflects a broader global trend, with postal services worldwide facing financial pressure as digital alternatives replace traditional letters.

The shift is evident elsewhere in Europe. According to the Federal Network Agency letter report, the number of letters sent is steadily declining.

The vast majority, around 95 per cent, comes from business customers such as companies and government agencies.

Private correspondence now represents only a small portion of mail.

German postal officials, however, emphasise that the situation is not directly comparable.

Alexander Edenhofer, spokesman for the German DHL Group, told Bild: ‘The Danish postal service is not the German postal service. 

‘The two mail markets are only comparable to a limited extent. Despite declining volumes, letters remain important in Germany, and we expect to process and deliver letters for many years to come.’

Still, he acknowledges the challenges. ‘The news from Denmark shows how challenging the mail business has become,’ he added.

‘Digitisation is progressing rapidly, and mail volumes in Europe are shrinking quickly. This is putting a strain on all European postal service providers’.

In March, Germany’s Deutsche Post said it was axing 8,000 jobs, in what it called a ‘socially responsible manner’.