The increases affect letters, stamps, and Colissimo parcels. Overall, the average increase in postage prices for traditional postal services is around 7.4% compared with 2025, although some segments, such as parcels, have risen slightly less.
The standard mail delivered in around three days has increased from €1.39 to €1.52, a rise of more than 9%. Registered letters and faster services such as the e-lettre rouge (urgent mail printed and delivered by La Poste) have also seen price increases. Colissimo parcels are affected as well, though more moderately, with an average rise of about 3.4% across all destinations.
Despite these increases, the core problem for La Poste is the erosion of the traditional mail business. The universal postal service now accounts for just 15% of the €34.5 billion in annual revenue, down from nearly half in 2010. Volumes have been in continuous decline since before the pandemic.
The same is true for press distribution, another public service mission. While tariffs for delivering newspapers and magazines rose by about 7% this year, the activity still runs a deficit of around €500 million annually.
A parliamentary committee recently described “chronic under-compensation” of La Poste’s public service obligations. They estimate the annual cost of the public service missions at around €2 billion, while state compensation has hovered near €1 billion per year between 2023 and 2025.
Critics warn that chronic under-compensation by the state is pushing the postal operator toward an unsustainable model.
La Poste has sought to diversify into new local services, but the national auditor notes that these ventures have yet to generate sufficient revenue.
You can see all the revised charges for letters and parcels in our guide below.
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