Denmark to stop letter delivery, ending a 400-year-old tradition

PostNord the joint Swedish–Danish postal service announced earlier this year that it would discontinue letter delivery.

The decision has been taken due to the “increasing digitalization” of Danish society. As a result, 1,500 employees will be laid off and 1,500 red post boxes will be removed across Denmark.
 

Describing Denmark as “one of the world’s most digitalized countries,” PostNord said that with the rise of online shopping, demand for letters has “declined dramatically.” In this context, the company has decided to focus on parcel and package delivery instead of letters.
 

The Danish postal service has been delivering letters since 1624. However, over the past 25 years, the volume of letters sent in Denmark has fallen by more than 90 percent.
 

PostNord Denmark’s Deputy Chief Executive Kim Pedersen said, “We have provided postal services to the Danes for 400 years. Ending this chapter of our history is therefore a difficult decision. Danes are becoming increasingly digital, which means very few letters remain today. The decline is so significant that the letter market is no longer profitable.”
 

Although the postal service will stop delivering letters, Danes will not completely lose the ability to send them. Letters can still be sent through a delivery company called DAO, which will expand its services from January 1.
 

However, people will no longer be able to drop letters into traditional mailboxes. Customers will have to go to designated DAO shops to send letters, and additional fees will apply for home pickup. Postage will have to be paid online or via an app.
 

Under Danish law, the option to send letters must exist. Therefore, if DAO ever stops providing the service, the government will be required to appoint another provider.
 

Following the announcement, there was a rush to collect Denmark’s iconic red post boxes. Earlier this month, when 1,000 already-removed mailboxes were put up for sale, they sold out within just three hours. Each box in good condition was priced at 2,000 Danish kroner (about £230), while more worn ones cost 1,500 kroner. Another 200 boxes will be auctioned in January. PostNord has also announced refunds for unused postage stamps.
 

Thanks to Denmark’s national digital ID system, MitID, everything from banking to doctor’s appointments is now digital. All official communications from authorities are automatically sent via “Digital Post” instead of physical mail. Ninety-seven percent of the population aged 15 and above is registered in the system, with only 5 percent opting out.
 

Interestingly, letter writing is making a modest comeback among young people. Research by DAO shows that people aged 18 to 34 send letters two to three times more often than other age groups. Researcher Mads Arlien-Soborg believes young people are seeking a “balance against digital overload,” and that writing letters has become a “conscious choice.”
 

Magnus Restofte, director of Copenhagen’s telecommunications and communications museum Enigma, said, “What’s interesting is that receiving a handwritten letter today has much greater value. People know that if you write a letter by hand, you have invested both time and money in it.”
 

A source close to the Ministry of Transport said that, in practical terms, there will not be much difference in the new year, as people will still be able to exchange letters through other companies.