Ofcom has recently published its annual "International Communications Market Report 2014" on international telecoms, broadcasting and postal services markets.
WIK-Consult supported Ofcom in preparing the report’s chapter on the postal sector. The report compares the developments of the British postal sector with developments in 17 countries based on selected indicators, i.a. consumer prices, volumes and revenues. The country sample comprises eight European countries (including Germany and the UK), Australia, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore, South Korea, USA and the BRIC countries. Ofcom commissioned WIK-Consult to collect, validate and/or estimate the postal data that provides the information used in the "International Communications Market Report 2014: Post" and to identify important trends for volumes, prices and competition.
The International Communications Market Report shows that communications sector’s total global revenues in 2013 were £1,205bn, growing by 2.1 % year on year (incorporating the telecoms, television, radio and postal sectors). The most remarkable trend in the postal sector is the continuous decline in letter mail volumes. Mail volume across the comparator countries has declined by 18.6 % overall since 2008. In 2013, the average year-on-year decline in letter mail volume was 2.4 % across all the countries. At the same time, the growth of parcels, driven by the increase in online shopping, is compensating for some of the decline in letter mail. Parcel volumes increased by 11.2 % overall since 2008.
