Price for sending a standard letter in Germany remains inexpensive compared to the rest of Europe
- Current study of letter prices in 29 countries shows 17% price decrease - when adjusted for inflation - in Germany over the past ten years
- No price increase for 13 years; eight years of price stability following price decrease in 2003
The most recent price increase for a standard letter in Germany occurred in January 1998.
Deutsche Post mail customers continue to enjoy a significant savings compared to other countries. This was again the case in the most recent annual edition of European letter price comparisons, published by Deutsche Post for the tenth time. In a purely nominal comparison, at 55 Euro cents, the price for sending a standard letter in Germany ranks within the European mid-range.
In contrast, nowhere in Europe except for Italy, did the actual price for sending a standard letter sink as much as in Germany. When factoring in inflation from 1999 to 2009, the price reduction amounts to just under 17%. In other countries, the price for a normal standard letter actually increased by approximately 28% during the same period.
German letter price below the European average
In addition to the strict nominal price comparison, economic factors such as labor costs and purchasing power parity were also taken into account in the comparison. According to this calculation, the price for sending a letter in Germany is significantly below the European average. The price for sending a letter from Germany to other European countries (the Europabrief) also ranks below the European average of 80 Euro cents when nominally compared.
The most recent price increase for a standard letter in Germany occurred in January 1998. In 2003, the price was reduced to 55 Euro cents, which is still in effect today.
