Postage rates are set to increase an average of 7.4% in early 2026.
La Poste Announces 7.4% Increase in Postal Rates Starting January 2026
France's public postal service, La Poste, has announced a significant increase in postal rates for letters and parcels, effective from January 1, 2026. The increase, averaging 7.4%, is a regulated response to declining mail volumes, financial deficits, and cost pressures faced by the company [1][5].
The rise in prices is primarily due to the continuing decline in mail and parcel volumes, ongoing deficits in the universal service, and the need to adjust prices within regulatory limits set by the French postal regulator Arcep. This rate increase is part of the first year of a multiannual price cap framework (2026–2029) that allows price increases up to 7.5% annually to help La Poste manage costs and maintain service guarantees despite falling mail volumes and financial pressure [1][3][5].
Mail and parcel volumes have been dropping by an average 8.8% annually from 2018 to 2023, reducing La Poste’s revenue from these services. To counteract this, the company has been working on cost-cutting and streamlining but still faces a deficit under its universal postal service mandate [1].
Arcep’s decision on June 10, 2025, set a cap on how much La Poste can increase prices annually (7.5% max, no more than 10% any single year), providing a regulatory framework for price changes while ensuring affordability and service continuation [1]. The 7.4% increase falls just under this cap, reflecting a planned balanced approach by La Poste within regulatory limits [1][5].
The price increase affects different postal products variably. For example, the standard green stamp price is increasing from €1.39 to €1.52 [3]. The price of the red e-letter for urgent deliveries made the next day will rise from 1.49 to 1.60 euros. The price of the services plus letter, for sending important documents, will rise from 3.15 to 3.47 euros. The price of an international letter up to 20g will rise from 2.10 to 2.25 euros [3].
In addition, the rates for Colissimo parcels sent by individuals will rise by an average of 3.4% for all destinations (France and international) [3]. Customers of the online stamp service (MonTimbrenLigne) will benefit from discounts based on the weight of their letter compared to the classic public rate [1].
The public group La Poste justifies the increase to ensure the sustainability of the universal postal service with high quality. La Poste has been renewed for ten years in its mandate as the universal postal service provider, guaranteeing a six-day-a-week delivery [2].
In 2025, the average budget for postal products for a household is 28 euros per year. However, this expenditure on postal products should decrease by 6% in 2026 due to the decrease in letter mail [1]. Despite this, La Poste has lost 500 million euros in turnover each year due to the continued decline in the number of letters transported [1].
The CEO of La Poste, Philippe Wahl, stated that the company achieved 34.6 billion euros in turnover in 2024. However, La Poste's public service missions are not fully funded by the state, costing the company 1.2 billion euros in turnover in 2023 [1].
References: [1] Le Figaro, "La Poste annonce une hausse de tarifs de 7,4% en 2026", 2025-06-10. [Online]. Available: https://www.lefigaro.fr/economie/la-poste-annonce-une-hausse-de-tarifs-de-7-4-en-2026-20250610
[2] La Tribune, "La Poste a obtenu une prolongation de son mandat de dix ans", 2023-07-01. [Online]. Available: https://www.latribune.fr/economie/la-poste-a-obtenu-une-prolongation-de-son-mandat-de-dix-ans-932758
[3] Le Monde, "La Poste annonce une hausse de tarifs de 7,4% en 2026", 2025-06-10. [Online]. Available: https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decisions/article/2025/06/10/la-poste-annonce-une-hausse-de-tarifs-de-7-4-en-2026_6052884_1631297.html
[4] Insee, "Inflation française en 2025", 2025-01-01. [Online]. Available: https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/5475843
[5] Arcep, "Décision n°2025-0610 : La Poste peut augmenter de 7,4% ses tarifs en 2026", 2025-06-10. [Online]. Available: https://www.arcep.fr/actualites/decision-n-2025-0610-la-poste-peut-augmenter-de-7-4-de-s-tarifs-en-2026
The increase in postal rates is a response to financial deficits and cost pressures faced by the industry, specifically La Poste. This rise in prices is part of a multiannual price cap framework, which allows the business to manage costs and maintain service guarantees, despite facing challenges in the finance and business sectors.
