Archive:Postal statistics

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Introduction

The purpose of Community policy in the postal sector is to complete the internal market for postal services and to ensure, through an appropriate regulatory framework, that efficient, reliable and good-quality postal services are available throughout the European Union to all its citizens at affordable prices. The importance of postal services both for the economic prosperity and social well-being and cohesion of the EU make this a priority area for Community action.

Eurostat restarted collecting data on postal services in 2005. The National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) are Eurostat's partners in the data collection and the reference years are 2004 to 2008. This article covers years up to 2007.

The definitions used were discussed and agreed in cooperation with the European Postal Regulators in a project group ("Assistance and development of EU statistics") of the European Committee for Postal Regulation (CERP).

The data collection covers the companies operating under the Universal Service obligation (Universal Service Providers - USP). For countries where a USP no longer exists, the company which was the USP prior to liberalisation is referred to. "Universal service" refers here to the set of general interest demands to which services such as the mail should be subject throughout the Community. The aim is to ensure that all users have access to quality services at an affordable price.

Only data on the USP have been published so far. Activities other than postal services (for instance financial services) of the USP are excluded due to the fact that they are not comparable between countries. Differing market conditions should be taken into consideration while making comparisons between countries.

Main statistical findings

Domestic postal turnover growing slower than the GDP during the period 2004-2007
Share of postal employment decreasing in the EU-27 in 2007 compared to 2004
Network access (number of inhabitants served by post offices) varies considerable between countries
Significant differences between countries concerning the number of letter-post items sent per capita
High rate of on-time delivery of priority letters in most countries
Large differences between the prices for posting a standard letter (domestic and intra-EU services)

Domestic postal turnover growing slower than the GDP during the period 2004-2007

Graph 1: Total turnover from the domestic postal sector as % of GDP^[1]

The EU-27 national postal operators generated in 2007 all together a turnover of EUR 60 billion, which was in relation to GDP approximately 0.5% in the EU-27. Almost 70% of the total turnover of the national postal operators was created in the four largest economies: Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy, where the turnover ranged from EUR 13 billion (Germany) to EUR 5 billion (Italy). Larger countries tend to have higher turnover figures in absolute terms, and therefore turnover in relation to GDP has been used to facilitate comparison between countries.

Sweden remains in 2007 the country with the highest turnover from domestic postal sector in relation GDP (0.8%), followed by Denmark, France, Finland and Belgium, all with turnover percentages in GDP above 0.6%. At the other end of the scale are the two new EU Members States, Bulgaria and Romania, with turnover ratios to GDP of only around 0.1%. Although domestic postal turnover in absolute terms (expressed in current prices) has generally increased compared to 2004, its ratio to GDP fell in most countries, as well as at the EU-27 level. Countries where the ratio of domestic postal turnover to GDP fell most compared to 2004 were Estonia, Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. Only Lithuania and Italy have seen the domestic postal turnover in relation to GDP slightly growing in 2007 compared to 2004.

Share of postal employment decreasing in the EU-27 in 2007 compared to 2004

Graph 2: Total number of persons employed in the domestic postal sector as % of the total employment

The national postal sector employed more than 1 million persons in 2007, accounting for 0.5% of total EU-27 employment. The number of persons employed compared to 2004 dropped by 6.5 % in the EU-27, although this decline slowed down towards 2007. France had in 2007 the highest share of postal employment in total (1%), being followed by Finland, Denmark and Hungary, all with shares above 0.8%. Lowest shares (below 0.3%) were registered in Greece, Cyprus and Portugal. Compared to 2004, postal employment in absolute terms increased in several countries of the EU, as well as in Iceland. However, its share in total employment has followed the same pattern only in Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Greece and Slovenia. For the rest of the countries and the EU-27 it has decreased – the countries where the shares fell most compared to 2004 were Denmark, France, Sweden and Norway. The average productivity measured in terms of turnover per person employed in 2007 was EUR 54000 in the EU-27, almost 12% higher than in 2004. There are significant differences between the Member States, the productivity measured in terms of turnover per person employed ranging from EUR 2000 in Bulgaria to EUR 97000 in Sweden.

Network access (number of inhabitants served by post offices) varies considerable between countries

Postal items may be deposited by customers for processing in postal services in different physical facilities. These access points include post offices/postal outlets and mobile offices, letter boxes, post office boxes and points at which only stamps can be bought. More than 150000 post offices (including full service offices, agencies/outlets and mobile offices) served the EU citizens needs in 2007 and this number remained more or less stable compared to 2004.

Number of people served by one post office is an indicator for the access to network and it is calculated as the population divided to the number of post offices. In 2007 each post office served on average 3300 persons in the EU-27. Looking at the data for individual countries large variations could be observed. Postal coverage (network access) was highest in Cyprus and the Czech Republic, with one post office serving less than 1000 inhabitants, whereas in Belgium and the Netherlands it was about 8 times lower. Compared to 2004 the network access significantly improved in Hungary and Malta, whereas Denmark and Latvia showed the highest rise in the number of people served by one post office. In 2007, there were 720 thousand letter boxes spread across the EU, corresponding in average to one per 690 citizens.

Significant differences between countries concerning the number of letter-post items sent per capita

In 2007, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands handled the highest number of letter-post items (for France and the United Kingdom no data were available). Nevertheless, compared to 2004 the number of letter-post items dropped in Italy and the Netherlands by 8 % and 11%, respectively. Norway's postal traffic in 2007 was also in decline compared to 2004 by more than 20%.

The analysis of postal traffic in relation to the population data shows that the highest number of letter-post items sent per capita in 2007 was recorded in Finland (406), followed by Luxembourg (388) and then by the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Slovenia, each with more than 200 items distributed per capita. In contrast, twelve EU Member States distributed less than 100 letter-post items per capita, with five of them – Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania - sending below 50. Among the countries with the highest number of letter-post items handled per capita (more than 200), only in Luxembourg and Slovenia an increase compared to 2004 was observed. However, the most notable increase is shown by Estonia and Croatia.

With 121000 letter-post items distributed per person employed in 2007, Luxembourg maintained its first position, being followed by Germany, Finland and Sweden, each with more than 90000. On the other hand, Bulgaria showed in both years the lowest number (7000). Largest increase compared to 2004 was observed in Germany, Estonia, Sweden and Croatia.

In 2007, almost all letter-post items sent in Cyprus and Malta were ordinary letters and postcards (more than 98%), whereas in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania and Luxembourg this share was only around 50%. Compared to 2004, the share of ordinary letters and postcards in the total letter-post items fell significantly in Estonia, Sweden and Poland. The most important rise was observed for Ireland and Romania.

Reserved area refers to services for which the USPs enjoy exclusive rights to operate. The scope of the reserved area is defined in terms of deliveries within specific weight/price limits. All mail that falls outside the area reserved to USP may be handled by any other postal business operating in the market. To illustrate the magnitude of the reserved area by country, the share of letters delivered in the reserved area as a share of all letters delivered by the USP is presented. These data give and indication on the share of the USP monopoly over a certain part of the postal market. As national definitions for the reserved area vary, comparison between countries is limited.

High rate of on-time delivery of priority letters in most countries

On-time delivery of priority letters is a quality indicator of postal service showing the share of letters delivered within the time limits defined by the national performance indicators in the total of all letters sent. Due to variations in national performance standards, size of the country, population density, etc., the quality of service data is not directly comparable across countries. The national performance standards range in the countries from 1 to 3 working days elapsing between the date of deposit and the date of delivery to the addressee. The share of priority letters delivered on time according to national performance indicators in 2007 was for most of the countries above 90 % or close to it.

Large differences between the prices for posting a standard letter (domestic and intra-EU services)

In order to compare the prices for posting a standard letter for domestic and intra-EU services across countries, the prices collected in national currency have been converted into euro using the average annual exchange rate. Prices paid in 2007 by customers sending standard letters to national destinations via mail varied considerably across the EU, by a factor of 5. Malta and Slovenia offered the lowest national prices at EUR 0.14 and EUR 0.23 per item. The highest prices were observed in Norway (EUR 0.75), Denmark (EUR 0.74), and Finland (EUR 0.70). For intra-EU cross-border traffic the highest prices were found in both Sweden and Norway (EUR 1.19), more than 4 times the tariff applied in Malta (EUR 0.27). Posting a domestic standard letter was in 2007 as expensive or almost as expensive as an intra-EU letter in Finland and Italy, while in Romania intra-EU prices were 2.5 times higher than the domestic ones.

To adjust the prices to the purchasing power in each country the Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) for the individual consumption of households have been used. The data actually show the price to pay for posting a standard letter (domestic and intra-EU services) within each country in comparison to the general price level of the country. The adjustment using the PPPs changes the price comparison significantly. Relative to the national price levels, posting domestic letters was most expensive in Poland, Lithuania and the Slovak Republic and least expensive in Malta, Slovenia and Spain. Intra-EU services were most expensive in Poland, Hungary and Lithuania and cheapest in Malta.

Data sources and availability

Data sources

All variables used in this article were collected in the context of the "EU Postal Survey" of Eurostat, on the basis of annual questionnaires covering the USP in the participating countries. Participating countries are the 27 EU Member States, Croatia, Iceland and Norway. The data was provided by the National Regulatory Agency of each country.

Data availability

The data were collected for the period 2004-2008. However, 2008 data have not yet been validated and published.

Postal definitions

The USP are defined as public or private entities providing a universal service or parts thereof within the country, not specifying whether required by license, authorisations or other legal instruments.

Total turnover from the provision of postal and related services domestically

Domestic turnover refers to turnover from postal activities within the economic territory of the country of reference. Receipts from foreign operators for services within the reference country should be included. Turnover is defined here as comprising the totals invoiced by the observation unit during the reference period, and this corresponds to market sales of services supplied to third parties. Turnover includes all duties and taxes on the services invoiced by the unit with the exception of the VAT invoiced by the unit vis-à-vis its customer and other similar deductible taxes directly linked to turnover. It also includes all other charges (transport, packaging, etc.) passed on to the customer, even if these charges are listed separately in the invoice. Reduction in prices, rebates and discounts as well as the value of returned packing are deducted. Income classified as other operating income, financial income and extra-ordinary income in company accounts is excluded from turnover. Operating subsidies received from public authorities or the institutions of the European Union are also excluded.

Employment: number of persons employed for the provision of postal and related services domestically

Domestic employment refers to the number of persons employed in postal services within the economic territory of the country of reference. It also includes part-time workers, who are regarded as such under the laws of the country concerned and who are on the pay-roll, as well as seasonal workers, apprentices and home workers on the pay-roll. It is measured as an average over the reference year. Presenting the number of persons employed as a share of total employment of the National Accounts is not ideal, as the latter is in full-time equivalents, but is nevertheless presented as an acceptable proxy.

Access points:

Offices open to the public and postal agencies

Offices open to the public and postal agencies refer to offices where customers may apply for all postal services. They include full-service post offices/agencies/outlets, other post offices/agencies/outlets and mobile post offices. Full-service post offices/agencies/outlets: "permanent" offices to which, in principle, customers may go for all postal services, including sections of exchange offices or sorting offices offering similar services. Other post offices/agencies/outlets: offices/agencies/outlets, which have generally reduced services and/or limited opening times for the public, including sections of exchange offices or sorting offices offering similar services. Mobile post offices: are set up in a train, a road transport vehicle or a boat, which serve regions without permanent post offices. This category also includes rural delivery personnel providing services similar to the counter services of a post office (not just delivery). Users can also deposit parcels, letters or express items with them or make payments to them.

Letter-boxes

Letter boxes include letter-boxes provided for the public either on the public highways or at the premises of the universal service provider, where postal items may be deposited with the public postal network by customers. The count of letter boxes should refer to the number of geographical points, where letter-boxes are located, i.e. where several letter-boxes are set together at the same place, they should be accounted for one (e.g. existence at the same place of two letter-boxes, one aiming at collecting cross-border mail and the other for domestic mail).

Post office box

A post office box (P.O. box) is a facility available to users who ask for such a service, where the mail is delivered instead to their actual postal address. It is regarded as a temporary address for mail.

Places at which only stamps can be bought

Depending on local practice this could include automatic vending machines at shopping centres or attached to letter boxes, or supermarkets, newsagents, tobacconists, and other retail outlet where stamps and/or stamps stationary are sold on commission or any other contractual basis on behalf of the postal operator.

Letter post services

Letter-post services consist of items of correspondence (ordinary letters and postcards, direct mail, registered mail, insured mail) and other letter-post items (books, catalogues, newspapers and periodicals). These items are to be conveyed and delivered at the address indicated by the sender on the item itself or on its wrapping.

Reserved area

Reserved area refers to the standard letter-post service area, where the USP enjoys exclusive rights to provide services. The reserved area is delineated at country level within weight/price limits given by the EC postal directives (97/67/EC, 2002/39/EC and 2008/06/EC). Country definitions for the reserved area vary, so direct comparisons between countries should be made with prudence. In this publication it is expressed in terms of numbers of letters and in percentage of the total letter post services.

On-time delivery of priority letters according to national performance indicators

"Quality standards" for national mail in each Member State have been established by Member States in relation to the time limit for routing measured from end to end for postal items of the fastest standard category according to the formula D+n, where D represents the date of deposit and n the number of working days which elapse between the date of deposit and the date of delivery to the addressee. The traditional indicator of the quality of postal service is the percentage of letters delivered on time according to the national performance standards, stipulated by the NRAs. The basic quality indicator adopted here it D+1 (delivery of letter 1 working day after posting it).

Prices – List price (EUR) payable for the handling of a standard (first class) letter weighing less than 20 g (universal service) for domestic service and for Intra-EU service

Prices of letters vary significantly between EU Member States according to various criteria. For reasons of comparability, the price of a 1st class letter weighing 20 g is being requested for domestic service. Prices should be indicated for 1 July of the reference year. The same applies for the Intra-EU service. The prices are compared in two ways, in direct Euro terms and taking into account the purchasing power of each country. The Purchasing Power Parities of consumption have been used to adjust the direct prices to the purchasing power in the country. The aggregate used for comparison is the actual individual consumption.

Context

The Community framework for EU postal services is set out in Directive 97/67/EC as amended by Directive 2002/39/EC and as amended by Directive 2008/06/EC (3rd Postal Directive). The improvement of quality of service, in particular in terms of delivery performance and convenient access are fundamental aspects of the EU postal policy. The Commission monitors and ensures the correct implementation of the regulatory framework and, where appropriate, proposes changes to this framework in order to achieve the Community's postal policy objectives. The above-mentioned directives provide the European legal framework with which the national regulatory authorities are to accelerate and promote the opening of markets. The process of liberalising the postal services market in the EU was initially set in motion by the Green Paper on the development of the single market for postal services in 1992, as part of the goal to create a European single market. The aim is to get national monopolies to open up to competition in order to make postal services cheaper, faster, more efficient and more innovative, harmonise performance across EU Member States and improve the quality of cross border-services. The ongoing process of liberalization has brought about a gradual reduction of reserved postal services, and the complete liberalization of the postal sector is expected as of January 1, 2011 (2013 for some EU Member States). Five EU Member States have already fully liberalised their postal service markets: Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and UK.

Further Eurostat information

Postal statistics glossary

Publications

Main tables

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Database

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