China hits record 150 billion parcel deliveries in 2024

China's parcel delivery sector reached a record 150 billion shipments so far this year, a milestone underscoring the country's economic resilience and the efficiency of its logistics and e-commerce networks, the State Post Bureau said Monday.

The achievement was marked at 4:29 pm Sunday, with the figure "150,000,000,000" flashing on the China Express Delivery Big Data Platform, which monitors the country's logistics industry.

The symbolic 150 billionth parcel — a box of apples from Tianshui in northwestern Gansu province — was shipped to a recipient in Chongqing, highlighting the vast scale of China's delivery network.

The sector's rapid growth has been striking. In 2014, China handled about 14 billion parcels annually. This year's record represents a tenfold increase in a decade, driven largely by the country's booming e-commerce market, which has fueled demand for faster, more efficient logistics services.

"China's express delivery industry plays a dual role: improving people's livelihoods while stimulating production and consumption," said Zhao Guojun, director of the postal development research center at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. "It is a key driver of economic efficiency, industrial upgrades, and a more dynamic real economy."

On average, each Chinese resident receives more than 100 parcels annually, with the sector processing over 5,400 parcels per second. During peak periods, daily shipments can exceed 729 million, with monthly volumes surpassing 13 billion.

The sector's growth has also supported rural producers. The 150 billionth parcel was ordered via the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo. Apple seller Zhang Pengfei credited the logistics network for enabling him to ship products from rural areas to urban centers efficiently, a task that would have been far more challenging without the current system.

China dominates the global parcel market. According to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, it handled 110.6 billion parcels in 2022, far exceeding the US (21.2 billion), Japan (9.1 billion), and the UK (5.1 billion).

Last year, China's parcel volume rose to 132 billion, up nearly 20 percent from 2022, accounting for more than 60 percent of the global total.

"China's parcel delivery sector is the most mature globally, handling more shipments than the next nine countries combined," said Gui Ning, vice president of logistics firm J&T Express. He added that China's logistics innovations are being applied overseas, enhancing delivery efficiency in other markets.

The explosive growth in deliveries reflects not just domestic economic activity but also China's growing role in global logistics. "The better the service to production, the greater the benefit to the people," Zhao said. "This virtuous cycle supports China's economic development and strengthens its leadership in the global supply chain."