The cost of sending a standard letter with Deutsche Post will increase by 10,5 percent in 2025, the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has announced.

German postal costs to increase by 10,5 percent in 2025

The cost of sending a standard letter from Germany will increase by 10,5 percent in 2025, the Bundesnetzagentur has announced.

It currently costs 80 cents to send a standard letter weighing up to 20 grammes within Germany, but the price will likely rise to 95 cents from 2025. Sending a compact letter weighing up to 50 grammes will cost one euro and a postcard, 70 cents.

Although postal services in Germany are privatised, as a so-called universal service they are governed by strict requirements set by the government, to guarantee a basic standard of service and remain competitive. 

Since the German government plans to keep the cost of sending a standard letter below one euro, 10,5 percent is the maximum rise expected. Now that the Bundesnetzagentur has announced the prospective price rises, Deutsche Post will confirm the prices before the New Year. 

Deutsche Post last implemented price hikes in January 2022. Once accepted and introduced in 2025, the new prices will remain in place for two years.

Cost of sending DHL packages to increase by 7,2 percent

From next year, sending packages from Germany will also get more expensive. The Bundesnetzagentur has given DHL, which operates Deutsche Post’s domestic packaging deliveries, permission to increase inland package delivery prices by as much as 7,2 percent. However, Deutsche Post has yet to confirm how much the price rise will be.

In the last decade, Deutsche Post has seen a decrease in the number of letters sent, but an increase in the number of packages. In 2023, 5,9 billion letters were sent, a third fewer than 10 years previously. In contrast, people in Germany sent 1,7 billion packages in 2023, two-thirds more than in 2013.

Changes in the way people are using Deutsche Post also pushed the German government to wave through a massive shake-up of the German postal system in June this year. In the first major overhaul of the postal system since 1997, Deutsche Post's delivery targets have been watered down.

Currently, Deutsche Post is required to deliver at least 80 percent of its letters on the next working day, and 95 percent within two working days. In future, that deadline will be changed to 95 percent of letters reaching their recipients within three working days, and 99 percent in four working days.

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