Denmark: As the 400-year postal history is ended by digitalization, sends the last letter.

Denmark: As the nation completely embraces digital communication, Denmark’s state-run postal service, PostNord, sent its last letter on Tuesday (local time), ending more than 400 years of conventional mail delivery, CNN reported.

Denmark is the first nation in the world to formally declare that, in the digital era, physical letter delivery is neither necessary nor financially viable.

A significant and sustained drop in letter use is reflected in the decision.

PostNord delivered more than 90% fewer mail in 2024 than it did in 2000, according to CNN. Other countries have seen a similar pattern, including as the US, where the US Postal Service sent around half as much mail in 2024 as it did in 2006.

The use of conventional letters has gradually decreased as communication has moved online, from emails and WhatsApp messaging to video chats and social media.

Earlier this year, PostNord started to remove Denmark’s famous red mailboxes. Beginning in June, almost 1,500 mailboxes were demolished nationwide.

Public attention soared in December when the corporation chose to auction the dismantled mailboxes for charity. Depending on their condition, they cost between 1,500 and 2,000 Danish krone, and hundreds of thousands of Danes tried to purchase one.

Despite its infrequent usage, many residents still have a deep emotional connection with the postal service, as seen by the enthusiastic reaction.

In the future, those who still need to mail letters will have to do it via kiosks located inside retail establishments. From then, deliveries both within and outside of Denmark will be handled by the private courier service DAO.

However, PostNord will keep running its package delivery services, which are still in great demand because of the rise in online shopping, according to CNN.

Denmark is one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated nations. The majority of government services are now provided online, significantly decreasing the necessity for communication on paper.Since almost all Danes are now completely digital, paper letters are no longer as useful as they previously were, according to PostNord spokesman Andreas Brethvad. He also said that, according to CNN, e-commerce and electronic communication have surpassed conventional mail in terms of volume and significance.