Price of a letter in Germany compares well against other European countries

German mail customers are benefiting more than almost any other country from the stable price of a standard letter. This is the result of Deutsche Post's latest European letter price survey for 2009.

In addition to the purely nominal comparison of prices, which places the standard German letter costing 55 Cent in the mid-range, basic economic conditions such as labor costs or purchasing power parities were also included in the comparison.

This places the price of a letter in Germany in the bottom third compared with other European countries.

When adjusted for inflation, the real price for the standard letter has in fact fallen by 16 percent between 1998 and 2008, while in the other countries included in the study prices have increased by more than 30 percent on average over the same period. The postage for a letter in Germany was last increased in 1997 and following a price reduction in 2003 has since remained stable at 55 Cent.

The Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) also noted in its recently submitted annual report that in contrast to the trend in Germany, price levels in most European countries had risen significantly since 2002.

Prices for letters and postcards are regularly approved by the Federal Network Agency in response to an application from Deutsche Post, legally based on what is known as a price cap procedure.