At the beginning of the year, the number of postal services decreased and the revenue increased

In the first quarter of 2022 the postal services market recorded a smaller number of services compared to the previous quarter, but also to the same period of the previous year. However, revenues in relation to the previous year are increasing. The reason is that more than one value-added shipment has been delivered.

ZAGREB, June 15, 2022 - In the first quarter of 2022 the postal services market in the Republic of Croatia was impacted by a significant influence of an unstable environment which has resulted in a traffic decline. A total of 66.8 million postal services was recorded, 2.5 percent less compared to the previous quarter and 4.4 percent less compared to the same period last year. The largest impact on the decrease in the total number was recorded in letter items, whose number decreased by 3.8 million or 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2022 than in the same period of the previous year.

Regarding the type of traffic, international traffic had a greater impact on the overall reduction in the number of services. The EU Regulation on the abolition of VAT exemptions on imports of consignments with goods up to EUR 22 from non-EU countries, which has been applied since mid-last year, has affected the demand for services related to international e-commerce. In the first quarter of 2022., the international postal services recorded two million declines from  the first quarter of last year, while in comparison with the previous quarter a 20 % decline was recorded.

Revenues of about HRK 492 million were generated from postal services in the first quarter of 2022. This is 9.7 percent less than in the previous quarter, which is a traditionally more active period for the market due to the end of the year and holidays, but still 2.2 percent more than in the same period of the previous year. The year-on-year increase is the result of a slightly higher number of value-added services.

At the end of the first quarter of 2022, the postal services in the Republic of Croatia were provided by 24 providers. The biggest provider is HP-Hrvatska Post d.d., whose market share was 87.7 percent in services and 58.9 percent in total revenues.

The postal services market data in the first quarter are available on the website of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) via the following link.