Denmark’s national postal service will stop delivering letters this Christmas, bringing an end to more than 400 years of letter delivery in the country.
PostNord, the state-owned company formed from a merger of the Danish and Swedish postal services, will deliver its final letter on 30 December, citing the “increasing digitalisation” of Danish society and a dramatic fall in demand for physical mail.
The company said letter volumes have dropped by more than 90% over the past 25 years, as Danes rely almost entirely on digital communication. As part of the change, PostNord will cut 1,500 jobs, remove around 1,500 red postboxes, and shift its focus fully to parcel deliveries driven by online shopping.
One of the most digitalised countries in the world
Denmark is one of the most digitalised countries in the world, with official communications now sent almost exclusively through the state’s digital post system linked to the MitID digital ID. Only a small minority of citizens have opted to continue receiving physical mail.
Letter delivery will not disappear entirely. Private company Dao will expand its services from January to comply with Danish law requiring that citizens retain the option to send letters, though customers will need to use Dao shops or pay extra for home collection.
While authorities say the change will make little practical difference, this is, of course, a very symbolic moment. The Danish postal service has delivered letters since 1624, and its final deliveries mark the end of an era, one that some say carries more sentimental weight than practical loss.
Postnord // Shutterstock