PostNord to End Danish Letter Delivery, Ending 400-Year Tradition Amid Digital Shift
PostNord has announced it will stop delivering Danish letters, with the last letters set to be sent on 30 December 2025, marking the end of a 400-year-old tradition dating back to 1624. This decision reflects a drastic decline in demand for postal letters in Denmark, a country described as highly digitalised.
As part of this shift, PostNord Denmark plans to cut 1,500 jobs and remove 1,500 red postboxes, focusing more on parcel delivery. Reflecting the reduced need for physical postboxes, 1,000 have recently been sold within three hours at prices ranging from 2,000 DKK for those in good condition to 1,500 DKK for worn ones, with an additional 200 scheduled for auction in January.
To continue mail services, Dao will take over Danish letter delivery. Currently handling about 30 million letters in 2025, Dao expects to deliver approximately 80 million letters in 2026. Letters can be posted at Dao shops or collected from homes for a fee, with postage paid online or via an app. Should Dao discontinue these services, Danish law requires another entity to assume responsibility.
Meanwhile, PostNord will continue delivering letters in Sweden and will offer refunds for unused Danish stamps for a limited time.
The decline in letter-sending has been over 90% in the past 25 years, although younger Danes aged 18–34 are sending more letters as a conscious counterbalance to digitalisation. Under Denmark’s MitID system, approximately 97% of Danes aged 15 and over are enrolled, with official communications sent digitally through 'digital post', which is accepted by nearly all except about 5% who have opted out. Officials suggest that while the transition from PostNord to Dao may have sentimental significance, it will create no practical difference in postal services.
