Denmark becomes the first country in the world to abolish a government-run book delivery service
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Sending and receiving a letter is now a thing of the past in one country.
PostNord, Denmark’s state-run postal service, has officially ended all letter deliveries at the start of the new year, citing a drop in volume of more than 90% from 2000 to 2024.
The Nordic nation is believed to be the only country in the world to stop delivering its books, although the distribution of packages continues.
USPS SHIPPING TIME MAY CHANGE FOR OTHER EMAIL, SHIPPING ADDRESSES ARE ALSO SET TO INCREASE
“Although this is a difficult decision, it is an important step towards a strong PostNord of the future, so we can continue our journey to become the parcel courier of choice for the Danes – and which will help ensure the best products on the parcel market,” PostNord said in a message on its website.
PostNord said it would shift its focus to parcel delivery and that any stamps purchased in 2024 or 2025 could be refunded for a limited time in 2026.
Denmark’s government-run postal service has stopped delivering letters, starting this year. (Stock)
“We have been the Danes’ postal service for 400 years, so it is a difficult decision to bow out of that part of our story,” PostNord Denmark CEO Kim Pedersen said in a news release announcing the company’s plans.
He added that “the book market is no longer profitable.”
AMERICAN HOTSPOT SCORES ‘WORST’ VISITORS IN NEW GLOBAL ANALYSIS
This decision is likely to affect older citizens, according to Marlene Rishoj Cordes and Aeldre Sagen (DaneAge).
Although PostNord said the “vast majority” of Danes use the digital postal service, many elderly citizens are “very dependent” on regular letter deliveries, Cordes told Denmark’s TV2.
Senior citizens are the most affected by the end of book delivery. (Stock)
“This includes hospital appointments, vaccinations or decisions about home care,” she said.
PostNord said it started removing 1,500 mailboxes located across the country in the summer.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFE NEWSLETTER
“Look closely at the picture here. Soon it will be rare,” wrote a Danish woman on X last year, alongside a photo of one of the defunct mailboxes.
PostNord has removed 1,500 mailboxes located throughout Denmark. (Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Now in five years, I’ll be able to explain to a 5-year-old what a mailbox was in the old days.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS
Letters in Denmark can still be sent by private courier.
PostNord, which is 40% Danish-owned, also operates in Sweden, according to the BBC.
PostNord is focused on package delivery in Denmark in 2026 and beyond. (Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Swedish book deliveries were not affected.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Denmark may be the first country to end government-run book delivery, but it probably won’t be the last.
Postal services in other countries are also struggling, including the United States and Canada, according to the Economist.
Marvin Ryder, an associate professor at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Canada, said he thinks it’s inevitable that book deliveries will end.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“I think Denmark is a coal mine,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
“I just think that in Canada that’s the future at least 10 years down the road.”
