By Sonia Meekes, Special Correspondent, Switzerland
The United Nations specialized agency for international postal cooperation – The Universal Postal Union (UPU) has unveiled the results of its 2024 Integrated Index for Postal Development (2IPD), with Switzerland and Germany topping the rankings among 174 countries assessed.
Switzerland has maintained its position as the world leader in postal development for the eighth consecutive year, while Germany shares the top spot for the first time. The announcement comes as the global postal community celebrates World Post Day, an annual UN observance which in 2024 also marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the UPU. The UPU will acknowledge top scorers in the index during a ceremony at the organization’s Berne, Switzerland, headquarters.
Speaking on the results, UPU Director-General Masahiko Metoki emphasized the critical role of postal services in today’s interconnected world, stating: “Postal services are more than delivery systems: they are channels for commerce, pillars of infrastructure, and catalysts for socio-economic development. To all award recipients and to postal workers across the globe: your dedication connects communities, empowers businesses and unites the world.”
Following Switzerland and Germany in the Postal Excellence category are Japan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, and Australia, all recognized for the highest levels of postal development in the comparative index.
The UPU will also recognize standout performers in other categories. Regional Champions, so named for leading postal development in their respective regions, include Brazil, China, Estonia, Mauritius and Morocco. Hungary, Indonesia and Barbados will be acknowledged as Rising Stars distinction for achieving the greatest overall improvement in postal development this year.
The annual index evaluates countries on four core indicators: reliability, reach, relevance, and resilience. Each country’s postal network is assigned a score out of 100 based on UPU’s big data, including billions of postal tracking records collected in 2023, official UPU postal statistics covering over 100 indicators, and key surveys conducted by the UPU. It serves as a key measure of how countries’ postal networks contribute to global trade and development, serving as an advocacy tool to encourage investments in the development of the network worldwide.
The full index will be available in the UPU’s upcoming 2024 State of the Postal Sector Report, to be published later this autumn.
