China's express delivery: Speed and efficiency of a nation in motion

中国快递服务：一个高度运转国家的速度和效率

China's express delivery industry has ranked No. 1 in the world for 11 consecutive years. During this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in early October, an average daily volume of over 900 million parcels were processed across the country.

中国快递服务业已连续11年位居世界第一。今年10月初的国庆中秋假期期间，全国日均处理包裹超9亿件。

The dynamism and vibrant growth of China's delivery and logistics sector epitomizes the success stories of the nation's governance.

中国快递和物流行业的活力和蓬勃发展体现了国家治理成功。

Express at your doorstep

快递到家

In 2024 alone, the total number of parcels reached a record 175 billion—meaning, on average, every Chinese person received 124 deliveries last year. The country is now home to around 16,000 courier companies, with annual revenue surpassing 1 trillion yuan for four years in a row, and two of the companies entering the Fortune Global 500.

仅在2024年，包裹总数就达到了创纪录的1,750亿件，这意味着每个中国人去年平均收到124件包裹。目前，中国大约有1.6万家快递公司，年收入连续四年超过1万亿元，其中两家公司进入《财富》世界500强。

Behind this remarkable growth lies China's booming online consumption and its vast, integrated transportation network: online retail sales have exceeded 13 trillion yuan, supported by more than 500,000 delivery outlets that blanket the entire nation. Same-day delivery within major city clusters and next-day delivery between key cities have become the norm—putting China at the forefront of global logistics efficiency.

这一显著增长的背后是中国蓬勃发展的线上消费和庞大而完善的交通运输网络：线上零售额已超过13万亿元，依托50多万个覆盖全国的配送网点支撑。主要城市群内实现当日送达、关键城市间实现次日送达已成为常态——使中国在全球物流效率方面处于领先地位

Even in rural areas, 95 percent of villages now have access to integrated courier and logistics service stations. Express delivery has reached places once thought impossible—like Tuiwa village, one of the highest villages in the world with an altitude of 5,070 meters, and Shenxianwan, a frontier outpost perched at 5,380 meters. Both now receive regular parcel deliveries.

即使在农村地区，现在有95%的村庄能够使用综合快递和物流服务站。快递服务已经覆盖了曾被认为不可能到达的地方——比如世界上最高（海拔5070米）的村庄之一的推瓦村和位于边境前哨（海拔5380）的神仙湾。这些地方都能定期收到包裹配送。

Innovation behind the parcels

包裹背后的创新

In 2023, China accounted for nearly 40 percent of all global patent applications in express delivery, ranking first worldwide. The industry has fused deeply with digital technology—big data and AI algorithms now forecast demand, optimize routes, and manage inventories.

2023年，中国在快递服务领域的全球专利申请中占比近40%，位居世界第一。该行业与数字技术深度融合——大数据和人工智能算法现在能够预测需求、优化路线并管理库存。

By the end of 2024, over 6,000 unmanned delivery vehicles had entered large-scale commercial operation, and nearly three million parcels had been delivered by drones. In JD.com's (China's e-commerce giant) fully automated "Asia No. 1" warehouse, smart systems can scan 200 labels, shelve 20,000 items, and take 320,000 photos in just one minute.

到2024年底，已有超6，000辆无人配送车大规模投入商业运营，近300万件包裹由无人机配送。在京东（中国电商巨头）全自动化的“亚洲第一”仓库中，智能系统仅用一分钟就能扫描200个标签，上架2万个商品并拍摄32万张照片。

In Jiangsu Province, the local specialty hairy crabs now fly across the Yangtze River by drone, reaching Shanghai in just 15 minutes—two and a half hours faster than by road.

在江苏省，当地特产大闸蟹现在通过无人机飞越长江，仅需15分钟就能抵达上海——比公路快了两个半小时。

Benefiting the society: environment, jobs, urban-rural prosperity

造福社会：环境、就业、城乡繁荣

Green growth: China's express delivery industry has embraced green development, creating an eco-logistics system from order to delivery. By the end of 2024, electronic waybills had achieved near full coverage in the industry, 200 million boxes were reused, and over 70,000 clean-energy vehicles and widespread solar facilities powered operations.

绿色增长：中国快递服务业积极推动绿色发展，构建了从订单到配送的生态物流体系。截至2024年底，电子运单在行业内已实现几乎全覆盖，2亿个快递箱被重复使用，超过7万辆清洁能源车辆及广泛的太阳能设施投入运营。

Job creation: More than 3.6 million people now work full-time in China's express delivery industry. Governments at all levels have introduced policies to protect couriers' rights—from wages to working hours and insurance. In 2024 alone, over 450,000 couriers received up-skill training. Local postal authorities and workers' unions, partnering with the delivery companies, have set up rest stations and childcare programs to enhance couriers' sense of belonging. By 2025, 65 individuals and teams had earned national honors, and several outstanding couriers were elected people's congress deputies, giving the industry's workforce a stronger public voice.

创造就业机会：中国快递服务行业现有超过360万全职快递员。各级政府纷纷出台政策以保障快递员权益——从工资到工时和保险。仅在2024年，就有超过45万名快递员接受了技能提升培训。当地邮政部门和工会与快递公司合作，建立了休息站和儿童保育计划，以增强快递员的归属感。到2025年，已有65名个人和团队获得国家荣誉，数名优秀快递员当选为人大代表，让行业劳动力有更强的公众话语权。

Linking urban and rural areas: Through delivery subsidies for farm products and increased inputs in cold-chain logistics, a new model is well in place to connect rural e-commerce, specialty farm products and local farmers via express delivery. This approach helps quality products move fast from villages to cities, bringing rural goods to urban tables. Nearly 150 flagship projects, each handling over 10 million parcels annually, now serve as models of "express delivery empowering modern agriculture," driving both rural revitalization and urban-rural prosperity.

城乡联动：通过农产品配送补贴和增加冷链物流投入，一个新的模式已经建立起来，将农村电商、特色农产品和当地农民通过快递连接起来。这种方法有助于优质产品从乡村快速流向城市，将农村商品送上城市餐桌。近150个旗舰项目，每个项目每年处理逾1000万件包裹，如今成为“快递服务赋能现代农业”的典范，推动乡村振兴和城乡繁荣。

China's express delivery industry, with its staggering numbers and relentless innovation, is more than just a logistical marvel. It is a microcosm of the nation's high-quality development, proving that progress is measured not only in parcels delivered but in opportunities created, distances bridged, and a future being built, one doorstep at a time.

中国快递业，以惊人的数字和不断的创新，不仅仅是物流奇迹。它是国家高质量发展的缩影，证明进步不仅仅以递送的包裹数量来衡量，更体现在创造的机会、缩短的距离以及一步步构建的未来。

(The author is an observer of international affairs.)

（作者是国际事务观察家。）