Deutsche Post DHL Group increased its operating result in the Post & Parcel Germany division by around 25 percent to €218 million in the third quarter of 2025. While letter volumes declined slightly by 2 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, revenue rose by five percent due to price increases.
According to the German Association for Post, Information Logistics and Telecommunications (DVPT), this once again demonstrates that unequal treatment in the postal market is leading to a one-sided development.
“Deutsche Post is able to increase its earnings despite declining shipment volumes – this illustrates that market mechanisms are currently not operating in a balanced way,” explains Klaus Gettwart, board member of DVPT e.V. “As long as Deutsche Post AG continues to receive preferential treatment regarding value-added tax in the letter segment, the competitive disadvantage of private letter service providers will continue to intensify.”
In its current Policy Brief of October 30, 2025, the Monopolies Commission also warned of this distortion and called for tax adjustments. The DVPT had already clearly addressed the issue during the hearing on the Postal Sector Report 2025 in Bonn.
The association is calling on the German federal government to create tax equality and review competitive conditions as part of the upcoming evaluation of the Postal Act in 2026. “A fair market is the prerequisite for stable prices, innovation, and security of supply – for both the economy and the public sector,” says Gettwart.
While DHL benefits from online commerce in the parcel segment (up 6 percent compared to the previous year), the decline in letter volumes continues.
According to corporate figures, Deutsche Post transported three percent fewer shipments in the third quarter than in the same period of the previous year. Overall, DHL Group employs around 534,000 full-time staff worldwide, including 151,000 in the Post & Parcel Germany division.
