New research from Pitney Bowe’s annual global Shipping Index, shows that global parcel volumes hit 131.2 billion in 2020, equating to 4160 parcels shipped per second and up 27% year on year. The company estimates that volumes could hit as high as 303 billion by 2026.
In the UK parcel volumes rose 33% to 5 billion, with 14 million parcels generated a day. The UK had the highest parcels per capita in the Index at 74, up from 56 in 2019. Before the pandemic, volume grew by an average of 8%. In 2020 the growth rate more than quadrupled from the previous year, from 7% y-o-y growth in 2019 to 33% in 2020.
UK parcel volumes are expected to rise by as much as 14% this year, to hit 6 billion, rising to as much as 8.5 billion in 2026. The UK also saw the highest increase in carrier revenue of all 13 countries in the Index, up 37% to $22.2 billion (£17 billion).
The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, now in its sixth year, reveals parcel volume increased across all regions in 2020 with the exception of India. China remains the largest market by volume, with parcel numbers reaching 83.4 billion in 2020
Jason Dies, EVP and President, Sending Technology Solutions, Pitney Bowes, said: “Ecommerce has become fundamental to our lives, and the staggering parcel volume revealed in the latest Index reflects this. For the world’s carriers, as essential service providers, 2020 was a transformative year which tested their investments in people, infrastructure and digital capabilities to the limit.”
