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Fewer post offices in Saxony - complaints on the rise

Fewer post offices in Saxony - complaints on the rise
Since a new legal regulation, Deutsche Post has increasingly relied on automated locations for its branch network - there are also three such automated branches in Saxony. (Symbolic image) / Photo: Marcus Brandt/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
There are fewer post offices in Saxony, while complaints about postal services are increasing significantly. Why the federal government believes that applicable standards are nevertheless being upheld.

In Saxony, the number of post offices has fallen in recent years, while the number of complaints about postal services has increased significantly. According to an answer from the federal government to a question from the Left Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the number of post offices in the state fell from 757 in 2016 to 685 in 2025. This corresponds to a decrease of around nine percent. At the same time, the number of complaints about postal services from Saxony rose from 871 in 2023 to 1,386 in 2025 - an increase of a good 59 percent.

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Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania hit hardest by decline

The figures are based on data from the Federal Network Agency. According to the response, around 630 so-called universal service branches have been closed across Germany since 2016, resulting in around 46,000 job losses. The sharpest decline was in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the figures, more than one in six branches there has closed its doors since 2016.

Leipzig MP Sören Pellmann (Left Party) sees the privatization of the former state-owned company a good 30 years ago as the cause: "For the benefit of the shareholders, branches in rural areas are being successively closed and, if at all, replaced with vending machines." Pellmann sees older people in particular at a disadvantage: "They now have to travel miles across the country to get a stamp."

Federal government sees standards maintained despite fewer post offices

The federal government does not see compliance with legal standards for postal services at risk despite the development: there must be at least 12,000 so-called universal service branches nationwide that offer all postal services. In municipalities and residential areas with more than 2,000 inhabitants, at least one branch is required. According to the figures, there were 12,393 in 2025. At the same time, the federal government points out that the total number of branches and parcel stores of all providers has increased since 2018 and most recently stood at over 60,000. In addition, there are almost 20,000 parcel stations of all providers operating on the market, the statement continues.

Post relies on automated branches - also in Saxony

Deutsche Post is increasingly relying on automated locations for its branch network. This is made possible by a new legal regulation that has been in force since the beginning of last year. Following approval from the Federal Network Agency, traditional branches can now be replaced by automated stations. At the end of 2025, the company was operating 89 such stations nationwide that were approved as replacements for traditional branches, three of which are located in Saxony.

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