China’s express delivery sector thrives in first five months of 2026

China handled 82.87 billion express parcels in the first five months of 2026, highlighting the vast scale and resilience of the country's delivery network, official data revealed on Monday. This figure represents a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the State Post Bureau of China.

Express delivery revenue reached 635.37 billion yuan ($93.81 billion) from January to May, marking a 7.2 percent year-on-year growth. In May alone, China's express delivery firms managed 18.3 billion parcels, a 5.7 percent increase year-on-year, while revenue surged 9.5 percent to 137.44 billion yuan.

Intercity delivery remained the market's cornerstone, with volume reaching 75.22 billion parcels in the first five months, up 6.4 percent year-on-year. International and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan delivery services also expanded, with volumes rising 7.4 percent to 1.78 billion parcels.

This continued expansion follows a strong 2025, during which China's courier sector handled 199 billion parcels, further underscoring the country's status as the world's largest express delivery market.