According to postal regulator ComReg figures published in an annual quality of service report, An Post delivered 78% of single piece priority mail on the next working day last year, marking a five-percentage-point decrease from 2024 and falling significantly short of the official 94% regulatory standard.
ComReg Data Reveals Steep Decline in An Post Next-Day Delivery Rates
An Post fell further short of official postal targets last year, with next-day delivery performance dropping across multiple categories, according to data from postal regulator ComReg. The latest figures show the national postal operator achieved a 78% success rate for single piece priority mail delivered across the State on the next working day in 2025.
That result represents a five-percentage-point decrease compared to 2024. It also leaves the postal service well below the strict regulatory standard of 94% set by ComReg.
The annual independent monitoring reports were conducted on behalf of ComReg by Ipsos B&A, analyzing delivery times on roughly 27,600 items of mail posted throughout 2025. The data highlights sharp regional disparities, particularly for mail traveling into the capital.
Did You Know?
An Post’s universal postal service quality monitoring first began back in 2003, when initial tracking showed 71% of mail delivered on the next working day. Performance steadily climbed to peak in 2015 and 2017 before pandemic disruptions affected subsequent years.
Regional Bottlenecks and December Delivery Drops
A detailed breakdown of the ComReg figures shows that next-day delivery rates for items posted outside Dublin to addresses within the capital plummeted to 64% last year, down from 78% in 2024. The strain became acute during the winter holiday period.
In December—traditionally the busiest month for the State’s postal service—the proportion of mail posted from outside Dublin and delivered to the capital the next day dropped from 52% in 2024 to just 18% last year.
Across all routes, the average next-day delivery rate in December 2025 sank to 49%. That marked a dramatic drop of 12 percentage points compared to the same month the previous year, as postal services grappled with heavy mail volumes.
For the broader January-to-November 2025 period, An Post achieved an 81% next-day delivery rate, slipping from 85% over the corresponding period in 2024. Meanwhile, separate measurements for three-day deliveries showed 96.5% of single piece priority mail items arrived within three working days last year, down from 97.9% in 2024 and below ComReg’s 99.5% standard.
How Collection Methods, Addressing, and Mail Types Impact Speed
Performance varied widely depending on how and where mail entered the postal network. According to the ComReg report, business mail collection proved the most reliable, with 90% of next-day priority items delivered successfully. That compared to 74% for post collected from post offices and 72% from post boxes—all figures seeing declines from the previous year.
Addressing format and postage methods also influenced outcomes:
- Typed vs. Hand-written: Typed addresses achieved an 82% next-day delivery rate, compared to 74% for hand-written items.
- Format: Standard letters recorded a 79% next-day rate, slightly outpacing large envelopes at 77% and packets at 75%.
- Postage Type: Metered post reached 84%, while stamped mail lagged at 73%.
The monitoring report noted that two force majeure periods caused disruptions early in the year: a five-day heavy snow event from January 6 to 10, 2025, and Storm Éowyn on January 24, 2025. However, ComReg excluded items posted on or between those dates in affected areas to ensure weather events did not skew the published results.
An Post Response and Network Redesigns
A spokesperson for An Post stated that the company takes quality of service very seriously and remains fully committed to meeting regulatory standards. We continue to engage with ComReg to improve transparency and understanding so as to provide customers with world class services,
the spokesperson said.
To address performance issues, An Post announced it is actively recruiting an extra 350 full-time delivery staff. The company is also updating and redesigning its national delivery network, integrating increased use of technology aimed at ensuring compliance, process improvements, and the early identification of service issues. An Post did not provide a specific explanation for the overall decrease in delivery rates recorded last year.
Pro Tip for Postal Customers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official ComReg standard for An Post next-day delivery?
ComReg sets a regulatory standard requiring An Post to deliver 94% of single piece priority mail on the next working day.
What percentage of priority mail was delivered next-day in 2025?
According to ComReg figures, An Post delivered 78% of single piece priority mail on the next working day last year, down 5 percentage points from 2024.
How did the December postal rush affect delivery times?
The average next-day delivery rate in December dropped to 49%, a 12-percentage-point decrease compared to December 2024. Items sent from outside Dublin to the capital saw next-day arrival rates fall from 52% down to 18% during the same month.
What steps is An Post taking to improve delivery performance?
An Post is recruiting an extra 350 full-time delivery staff and redesigning its national delivery network with upgraded technology to improve processing and catch service delays early.
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