China Delivered 95 Billion Parcels in 6 Months - That’s 12 Packages for Every Person on Earth

Photo by Michael Pham

In the first half of 2025, China’s parcel delivery industry handled over 95 billion packages, a 19% increase from the same period last year. On average, more than 520 million parcels were delivered every day. That’s equivalent to nearly 12 packages for every person on Earth, highlighting just how massive this logistical engine has become.

China crossed the 50-billion parcel milestone 18 days earlier than it did in 2024, showing just how fast the country’s delivery network is scaling alongside domestic consumption.

A Major Driver for China’s Economy

According to the State Post Bureau, the express delivery sector is playing a growing role in boosting consumer activity and supporting the broader real economy. In the first half of 2025, 95.64 billion express parcels were handled, the entire postal industry brought in ¥873 billion (US $122 billion) in revenue, and express delivery revenue grew by 10.1%, while overall industry growth was 8.3%.

Officials see delivery services as essential infrastructure that now supports everything from online retail to rural development and agriculture.

In cities like Shenzhen and Beijing, platforms like Meituan are running drone delivery pilots, offering snacks and essentials in as little as 10 minutes.

Delivering to Every Corner—Including Remote Areas

The delivery boom isn’t only happening in major cities. In Yarkant County, Xinjiang, for example, local residents can now pick up school supplies and groceries just steps from home.

In Guangdong, known for its lychee harvest, farmers are using cold-chain delivery—via high-speed rail and air—to ship fruit to customers in cities like Beijing and Shanghai within 24 hours of being picked.

Technology Is Changing the Game

To manage this fast-growing volume, Chinese delivery companies have been upgrading infrastructure and investing heavily in automation and smart logistics. Developments include more airfreight and rail-air transport routes, automated sorting hubs and unmanned vertical warehouses, and AI-driven sorting and dispatch systems.

In Rui’an, Zhejiang, SF Express has deployed a drone line to transport freshly picked bayberries to nearby cities. After the first morning harvest, drones carry 50 kilograms of berries to local markets, where they are either delivered within hours or packed for overnight cold-chain shipping. Local farmer He Duanzhi now relies on cold-chain logistics for 90% of his daily sales.

In cities like Shenzhen and Beijing, platforms like Meituan are running drone delivery pilots, offering snacks and essentials in as little as 10 minutes.

Autonomous Vehicles Still in Early Stages

Ground-based automation is also expanding—but more cautiously. Companies like Alibaba’s Cainiao are testing driverless delivery vans, but they remain in trial stages, mostly operating in limited, controlled environments. While there are long-term plans to scale up these vehicles, current deployment numbers remain relatively low compared to future targets.

Behind the scenes, AI technology is already playing a major role in speeding up sorting, route planning, and customer service.

What’s Next for 2025?

Officials at the State Post Bureau expect the growth to continue into the second half of 2025. With deeper integration of new technology, improved service capacity, and broader rural coverage, China’s logistics network is becoming one of the world’s most advanced and essential engines of domestic commerce.