Courier Industry Statistics to Know in 2023

The courier industry has witnessed a transformative change over the last few years because of the rise of online shopping and eCommerce.

Globally, the logistics industry is bouncing back after some turbulent years and experiencing growth across sectors. 

Evidently, this has led to rapid changes in the courier industry market. 

This piece talks about the market overview, expected logistics growth in the future, and courier industry statistics in different industries that actively utilise delivery services.

Courier Industry Market Overview in 2023

The global courier industry market stands at USD 413.05 billion with a growth of 10% during the forecast period. The B2C segment and eCommerce transactions are leading the growth of courier shipments globally. 

Globally, the volume of deliveries peaked at USD 200 billion with a projected growth of over 50% by 2025. FedEx, UPS, DHL and United States Postal Service were the most popular courier services across the globe.

The domestic markets are also leading the growth because they’re able to better leverage the opportunities of the eCommerce market. The overall gap between the domestic and international markets is smaller in North America and Europe than it is in other continents because of the lower barrier to international trade. 

In developing countries, the growth of the courier industry is higher but it is completely tied with the growth of eCommerce. This growth is driven by the growing international trade, accessible internet and smartphone facilities that boost eCommerce sales, the rising middle-class population with disposable incomes, and the higher purchasing power of the masses. 

As for Australia, the parcel delivery market is witnessing exponential growth as well as a result of ease of shipping regulations, deliveries, and tracking parcels across the globe. Its population of more than 25 million is opening new doors for eCommerce delivery, specifically in express delivery. The industry witnessed an increase in parcel revenue of 3% and a parcel volume share increase of 3% in 2020.

Global Courier Industry Statistics

1. Courier Industry Statistics in Retail

• The retail logistics market was valued at USD 227.61 billion in 2021, globally. 
• The projected compound annual growth rate of the retail logistics industry is 12.3% from 2022 to 2030. 
• The streamlining of retail logistics has resulted in quicker delivery times and lower fulfilment costs. This has in turn allowed companies to focus on customer service in logistics rather than trivial operations. 
• The conventional retail logistics (brick-and-mortar logistics) segment accounts for the highest revenue share and is expected to remain dominant till 2030. 
• In terms of mode of transport, road transport dominated the retail courier industry with the largest revenue share of over 52% and is expected to grow in the coming years. 
• Asia Pacific dominated the revenue share of 26.3% in the retail courier industry. Since the region is home to some of the largest target populations such as China, India, Australia, and Japan, eCommerce sales are soaring, leading to a high demand for retail logistics.

2. Courier Industry Statistics in eCommerce

• The global eCommerce courier service market is expected to reach $326.32 billion by 2025. 
• Recently, the industry has witnessed a sharp rise in last-mile deliveries. Over the past few years, the requests for last-mile deliveries have risen by 50%, specifically from B2C eCommerce companies. 
• The eCommerce logistics industry is focusing immensely on providing the ultimate delivery experience to customers. Studies show that 95% of shoppers want to track packages while in transit and 38% of online stores are concerned about customer expectations in terms of delivery times. 
• 77% of online stores are offering free shipping to improve customer experience.
• 88% of customers are open to paying more if they can get faster or next-day delivery. 
• The same-day delivery trend is also increasing, where customers can get their parcel in a matter of hours.

3. Courier Industry Statistics in Healthcare

In recent years, we’ve seen how fragile the healthcare industry really is. The medical transport industry was in high demand due to ongoing health concerns and the global health emergency. Let’s take a look at the impact it had on the medical courier industry.  

a. Medical Supplies

• The global medical supply delivery market is valued at USD 48.6 billion at the beginning of the decade and is expected to grow at a rate of 9.3% from 2021 to 2028.
• The biggest trend in medical courier delivery is automating deliveries through drones. It is helping healthcare facilities transport medical supplies at an impressionable speed and improve patient care.
• There is a growing demand for quick delivery services for emergency transport of blood and blood components across various surgical procedures.
• Asia Pacific has the largest share in medical courier delivery with 40% in 2020. The reason for the same is improved healthcare infrastructure, a rise in chronic diseases, and a growing geriatric population.
• Europe is expected to record the highest growth in medical courier services by 2030.

b. Pharmaceuticals

• The pharmaceutical courier industry is expected to grow at a rate of 9.2% from 2023 to 2030. The primary reason for this rapid growth is the short-term impact of COVID-19 which accelerated the pharma logistics.
• The industry is outsourcing most of its labelling and packaging work from third-party logistics providers.
• Within the industry, the storage segment occupied the largest market share at 63.9% in 2022.
• Europe accounted for the largest pharmaceutical logistics market with more than 36% of the market share.
• Asia-pacific is the fastest growing market for the pharmaceutical logistics market.

4. Courier Industry Statistics for Bulk Cargo

• The global cargo shipping market is expected to grow from 11.09 billion tons in 2021 to 13.19 billion tons in 2028.
• The industry is driven by digital initiatives that are aiding the cargo logistics growth.
• Dry bulk cargo has the largest cargo logistics market share at 31.3%.
• In terms of industries, manufacturing is leading the cargo industry followed by oil and gas.
• Asia Pacific region tops in terms of cargo movements.
• Cargo shippers are partnering with shipping industry startups to uplift their data collection of cargo movement and vessels and optimise cargo movements.

5. Courier Industry Statistics for Perishable Goods

• The perishable courier industry is expected to grow by USD 6.43 billion from 2021 to 2026.
• The majority of the growth (42%) will originate from the Asia-pacific region.
• The adoption of eco-friendly vehicles is trending in the transportation of perishable goods.
• The primary growth factor can be attributed to the rising demand for processed food.
• Meat and other processed foods dominated the market share of the perishable courier industry followed by the dairy industry.

6. Courier Industry Statistics for the Manufacturing Industry

• The global freight logistics market grew at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2023.
• Most manufacturing companies will outsource their supply chain management
• 80% of the manufacturing goods are moved by sea freight transport
• IoT will continue to expand in the manufacturing courier industry as a means to collect crucial data and improve business operations.

7. Courier Industry Statistics for the Automobile Industry

• The global automotive logistics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6% from 2021-2028.
• Increasing operational efficiency in finished vehicle logistics will drive market growth.
• The domestic automobile industry dominated automobile logistics due to the large-scale production in emerging economies.
• Roadways is leading the automobile logistics industry due to their potential for technological advancements like high-level connectivity and deployment of intelligent transport systems.
• Asia-pacific again holds the largest market share for automobile logistics with a market size of more than USD 130 billion.

Outsource your Courier Delivery Requirements

The courier industry statistics show that the industry is in for unprecedented growth accompanied by new challenges and trends.

That said, most companies are turning towards outsourcing their supply chain to reduce their operational costs and have experienced entities take care of the deliveries and transport.

If you’re one of them, you can contact us at PACK & SEND and we’d be happy to help you optimise your logistics.

Sources: Grand View Research, Elluminati, Fortune Business Insights,  Technavio.com, The Business Research Company, Approved Forwarders, Fortune Business Insights