Name: Denmark ending postal service after 400 years
Uploaded: 2025-12-19T15:47:21.443Z
Duration: 2 min 19 s
Description: After 400 years, Denmark’s national postal service is preparing to deliver its last letters. On December 30th, PostNord will shut down its letter collection and delivery entirely — a first for any country in Europe.

After 400 years, Denmark’s national postal service is preparing to deliver its last letters. On December 30th, PostNord will shut down its letter collection and delivery entirely — a first for any country in Europe.

Copenhagen

Denmark is set to become the first country in Europe to end its national postal service, following a more than 90% drop in letter-sending over the past 25 years. The shift is attributed to widespread digitalization, with most communication now conducted online, and the high cost of sending letters making traditional mail less viable.

PostNord2, the national postal provider, will redirect its focus to the growing parcel industry, while a small private rival will offer limited letter services. The last post boxes will be preserved as museum exhibits, symbolizing the end of an era as Denmark transitions fully to digital communication.

Denmark ending postal service after 400 years

For Jette Hjerte, sending Christmas cards is more than a tradition, it's a small act of resistance. The number of letters sent in Denmark has collapsed by more than 90% in the last 25 years. I think it's such a pity, but of course I understand, because we live in a digital world and that's how it goes with everything. So it's not so personal anymore as it used to be, because it's digital. Normally there were about 25-30 cards every year, but last year there were only two cards. All of the red post boxes in her region have been removed. She now has a long walk to a local supermarket to deposit her mail. Sending a standard letter costs nearly $8, and for many Danes, that sealed their fate. For PostNord2, letters have simply become too expensive to handle. It's redirecting resources to the booming parcel industry. Historians are not surprised Denmark is the first country in Europe to do away with its national postal system, and expects other countries will follow. Denmark is one of the most digitalised countries in the world. We are very familiar with getting all kinds of communication from the state or from the businesses or even the banks through our digital mailboxes. So if you look at the history, you can see that 25 years ago we were sending 1.4 billion letters each year, and now it's more like 100 million. Danes will still be able to send letters through a small private rival, DAO, but only by visiting a branch. Across the world, the story is largely the same. Email, smartphones and online platforms have largely replaced paper, and national postal services are suffering. These two post boxes will be the last to be removed in Denmark, turned into museum exhibits marking the end of an era. What will be lost when letters disappear will be hard to measure, but countries will be watching closely as Denmark makes a shift that cannot be undone. For Jette and her family, it could mean the end of a long tradition. Yeah, I'm going to treasure this one. Maybe it's going to be the last one I get. The age of handwritten connection quietly fading. Charlie Angela Aljazeera, Copenhagen.

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