Stamp and parcel prices will increase in January 2026: here are the new shipping rates announced by La Poste

Another small blow to household wallets. According to the La Poste group, the postage price for letters and parcels will increase by an average of 7.4% on January 1, 2026 , including a 9.35% increase for the green letter for everyday mail, which will rise to 1.52 euros compared to 1.39 today, La Poste announced to AFP in a press release on Monday.

The public group justifies this sharp increase in postage rates by the need to "ensure the sustainability of the universal postal service with high quality" while the continuous decline in the number of letters transported has been reducing La Poste's revenue for years. Last year, these rates increased by an average of 6.8%.

34.6 billion euros in turnover in 2024

La Poste has just been renewed for ten years in its mandate as a universal postal service provider, which guarantees delivery six days a week. However, it is chronically faced with mail attrition.

Every year, it loses "500 million euros in turnover" for this reason, likes to point out the company's CEO Philippe Wahl, now interim chairman of the board of directors of the public group, which achieved a turnover of 34.6 billion euros in 2024.

Its public service missions (mail and press distribution, regional planning, banking accessibility) are not fully funded by the State. This undercompensation cost La Poste €1.2 billion in turnover in 2023, according to Mr. Wahl.

What are the new rates?

Thus, on January 1, 2026, the price of a 20g registered letter will increase from 5.74 to 6.11 euros . The price of the services plus letter, for sending important documents, will increase from 3.15 to 3.47 euros . The price of the red e-letter, for urgent items delivered the next day, will increase from 1.49 to 1.60 euros . The price of the international letter up to 20g will increase from 2.10 to 2.25 euros.

La Poste emphasizes that customers of the online print-at-home stamp service (MonTimbrenLigne) will benefit from discounts "based on the weight of their letter compared to the standard public price."

Finally, the prices of Colissimo sent by individuals will increase by an average of 3.4% for all destinations combined (France and international).

However, the price increase will not lead to an increase in "household budgets" for postal services, argues La Poste: "In 2025, a household's budget for postal products represents 28 euros per year on average." However, "given the drop in mailings, this expenditure on postal products should show a decrease of 6% in 2026," it argues.