China's booming logistics and e-commerce sector hits 150b shipments

China's parcel delivery sector achieved a significant milestone this year, handling a record 150 billion shipments as of Sunday, the State Post Bureau of China announced on Monday.

The milestone was celebrated with the number "150,000,000,000" flashing across the China Express Delivery Big Data Platform screen at 16:29 PM. The platform, operated by the State Post Bureau's Postal Industry Safety Center, marked the achievement as a turning point in the country's rapidly growing logistics and e-commerce ecosystem.

The 150 billionth parcel — a box of apples from Tianshui in Northwest China's Gansu province — began its journey to a recipient in Chongqing. The symbolic shipment highlights the enormous scale of China's express delivery industry and its vast network.

It underscores the exponential growth of China's parcel delivery sector. Over the past decade, the industry has surged from handling about 14 billion parcels annually in 2014 to surpassing 150 billion shipments this year, marking a staggering increase. This growth is a testament to the country's booming e-commerce market and the logistical capabilities that support it.

The surge in parcel deliveries is not just a number — it reflects a massive scale of activity. In China, it is estimated that one person receives more than 100 parcels annually on average with over 5,400 parcel orders generated every second. On peak days, the industry processes over 729 million parcels. Monthly shipment volumes exceed 13 billion, while business revenue surpasses 100 billion yuan ($13.82 billion) each month. 

The rapid growth of China's delivery market continues to fuel economic activity, playing an integral role in boosting both production and consumption across the country. The scale and efficiency of the sector are vital drivers in enhancing the overall economic dynamism, helping to promote industrial upgrades and improving the efficiency of China's economy as a whole.