Denmark’s days of traditional mail delivery are numbered.
State-run postal service PostNord announced on Thursday that it will cease letter delivery in the Nordic nation by the end of 2025. While package distribution will continue, the move marks a significant shift in Denmark’s postal landscape and reflects the increasing digitisation of communication.
The change will see the removal of approximately 1,500 mailboxes across Denmark in the latter half of 2025, and unused stamps will be eligible for refunds. The downsizing will also impact PostNord's workforce, with an estimated 1,500 of its 4,600 employees facing layoffs this year.
PostNord, which also services Sweden, confirmed that letter delivery in that country will remain unaffected.
The agency cited a dramatic 90 per cent decline in letter volume in Denmark since 2000, with a further drop of over 30 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year. This decline is attributed to the global shift towards digital communication, exacerbated by 2024 Danish legislation that increased postage costs.
“We have been the Danes' postal service for 400 years and therefore it is a difficult decision to put a bow on that part of our story," PostNord Denmark chief executive Kim Pedersen said in a news release.
"The Danes have become more and more digital which means that there are very few letters left for us to handle today, and the downturn continues so clearly that the market for letters is no longer profitable.”
Pedersen said the heart of PostNord's business is parcel delivery, which it will focus on in 2026.
Pelle Dragsted, a member of the Danish parliament, wrote on social platform X that the cessation of letter delivery will unfairly affect Danes who live in remote areas.
Letters can still be sent through private companies, Danish public broadcaster DR reported. The state will ensure that infrastructure remains for mail to be delivered to Denmark’s remote areas, including smaller island communities.
Pedersen also told DR that people can send their letters as packages through PostNord’s parcel shops.
Germany's Deutsche Post also announced layoffs on Thursday, with plans to cut 8,000 jobs
