China’s Express Delivery Index Rises 2.4% in July
China’s express delivery development index reached 424.2 in July, up 2.4% year-on-year, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on August 14. The report, covered by Xinhua News, showed continued expansion in the world’s largest express delivery market, with daily average parcel volume reaching approximately 550 million.
Index Breakdown
The composite index comprises four sub-indicators that together paint a picture of the sector’s health. The development scale index reached 603.5, up 5.8% year-on-year, while the service quality index stood at 566.8, up 0.1%. The development capability index rose 1.6% to 224.3, and the development trend index came in at 58.5, according to Securities Daily.
July express delivery volume is expected to grow approximately 4% year-on-year, while revenue is projected to increase about 8%, indicating improving unit economics across the industry. Express delivery service public satisfaction scored an estimated 85.3 points, up 0.1 point year-on-year, and the 72-hour delivery completion rate in key regions reached 86.7%, up 0.4 percentage points.
“In July, the industry operated steadily and orderly overall, with continued market expansion and steady improvement in service quality and efficiency,” a State Post Bureau official said, as reported by Economic Reference News.
Growth Drivers and Service Expansion
The sector continued to deepen its reach across diverse service scenarios, including trade-in programs, agricultural products going online, cultural tourism events, and graduation mailing services. These initiatives, combined with the ongoing “Express to Villages” program, have helped expand market scale by bringing convenient online shopping to rural consumers, as noted by Tonghuashun Finance.
Express companies also demonstrated resilience during July’s typhoon-triggered heavy rainfall across multiple regions. Leveraging flexible network scheduling, intelligent technology, and mature emergency response experience, operators maintained delivery continuity and highlighted the sector’s critical role in supply chain resilience.
Infrastructure and International Expansion
July saw continued investment in logistics infrastructure. Companies accelerated projects including the Urumqi Smart Logistics Park, Langfang Processing Center, and Nanchong Warehousing Center. The industry’s own airlines launched a new “Chengdu-Yangon” all-cargo route, strengthening connectivity to Southeast Asia, while new China-Kazakhstan and China-Vietnam international freight trucking services expanded cross-border land transport corridors.
In Shenzhen, an innovative “unmanned vehicle + subway” same-city delivery model was introduced, utilizing idle rail transit capacity to push urban delivery systems toward more efficient and low-carbon operations.
Industry Transformation Underway
The July data reflects a broader transformation in China’s express delivery industry. Since the “anti-involution” policy was implemented in 2024, the sector has shifted from price competition to a “volume and profit growth” model. Daily Economic News reported that all four major A-share express delivery companies posted double-digit net profit growth in Q1 2026, with revenue growth outpacing volume growth indicating improving unit prices.
The first half of 2026 saw express delivery volume exceed 100 billion parcels by June 30, nine days earlier than in 2025. According to the State Post Bureau, first-half express delivery revenue totaled 771.41 billion yuan, up 7.3%, while volume reached 100.38 billion parcels, up 5.0%.
Outlook
Looking ahead, the State Post Bureau expects the industry to continue its steady and positive development trend in August. “The industry’s comprehensive transport capacity expanded steadily, service quality and efficiency in diverse scenarios improved, industrial chain coordination deepened, and emergency support capabilities were comprehensively strengthened,” the bureau said. “Looking ahead to August, the industry is expected to continue its steady and positive development trend, continuously adding strength to economic and social development.”
With the full-year target of 2,140 billion parcels set at the 2026 National Postal Work Conference, and continued investment in AI technologies, infrastructure, and international corridors, China’s express delivery sector appears well-positioned for sustained growth. The upcoming Singles’ Day shopping festival in November will provide a key test of whether the industry can accelerate beyond its current moderate growth trajectory.