Last year, we ran our biennial census, and an incredible 21,186* of you took some time to answer the many questions. Thank you! 🙏 The census is an important event for Postcrossing, because it offers lots of valuable insights into the project. Although most of the data does not change very much from year to year, there are always interesting shifts and trends to uncover. Ready to look at some charts? Let’s go!
First off, here’s a chart of how happy people are with their postal service. We asked the same question some years ago… so what has changed in the last few years?
While overall happiness levels remain similar, there’s been a dip in the strongest positive ratings. In other words, fewer people think their postal service is “fantastic”, and more believe there’s room for improvement. This isn’t exactly surprising, given the financial and logistical challenges postal services have faced in recent years… but still, it’s a bit disheartening to see. 😕
Of course, this sentiment varies wildly from country to country. If you’d like to see a breakdown by country from some years ago, check out this blog post.
One of the interesting trends from the census is a shift in where people buy their postcards. Take a look:
Back in 2020, local postcard shops were still a popular source, slightly ahead of online shops. But in just a few years, that’s changed dramatically. Online shops have now taken the lead by a significant margin, while local postcard shops have dropped in popularity, currently being overtaken by online shops, museums, and other local stores.
Is this shift due to the convenience of online shopping? A decline in physical postcard shops? Rising postage costs influencing bulk online purchases? Probably a mix of all these factors… but whatever the case, it’s clear that postcrossers are adapting to new ways of stocking up on postcards!
In 2024's census, we introduced a couple of new questions, one of which asked: are you sending more postcards now than two years ago?
At first glance, the results were a pleasant surprise—most people reported sending more postcards than before! 🎉 But then, we took a closer look…
A large portion of respondents (around 20%) joined Postcrossing within the past year. That means their “increase” in sending might simply be because they weren’t sending many postcards before discovering Postcrossing. So, we decided to refine the data and look only at members who had been with Postcrossing for over two years:
And… there it is. When excluding newer members, the trend flips: most long-time members are actually sending fewer postcards. There are probably multiple reasons for this — rising postage costs, shifting personal priorities, or maybe just life getting in the way. It’s a sad trend, but also an expected one.
What about meetups? Have postcrossers been to meetings before?
Looks like only a small percentage has ever been to a meetup, which is a bit of a pity, really! Meetups are a great way to connect with fellow postcrossers, exchange postcards, and share stories. If you haven’t attended one yet, we really encourage you to give it a try — whether by finding a local meetup or even organizing your own. Who knows? You might make some new friends along the way!
One of the parts of the census that we pay especially attention to is the disabilities question, where we ask members how impairments affect their Postcrossing experience. Unlike other questions, this one isn’t easily represented visually, as replies come in the form of text. But after reading through the responses, we noticed that most of them fall into these main categories:
- Mental health conditions (like ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc.)
- Mobility and chronic pain issues (mostly arthritis, chronic back pain, wheelchair use, fatigue)
- Vision impairments
- Other physical or neurological conditions (including Parkinson’s, post-stroke effects, hand tremors, cancer treatments and dyslexia or dysgraphia)
For many of these issues, there is little that Postcrossing can do… but still, this kind of feedback is super valuable to us. By understanding these challenges, we can work towards making Postcrossing more accessible — sometimes in surprisingly simple ways, like adjusting font choices or rewording certain instructions. But since we don’t experience these challenges ourselves, we rely on feedback from the community to help guide us.
One thing we found surprising is that a lot of people reported that Postcrossing actually helps them cope with their disabilities — for instance, by giving people a small, finite task to focus on (e.g.: writing a postcard or taking a walk to the nearest postbox). Many state that it improves their mental health, and that Postcrossing’s “send at your own pace” model allows people to participate only when they have enough energy or resources, reducing guilt and pressure. These are factors we don’t usually consider, so it’s amazing to learn about them!
Finally, another new question we asked last year was: have used or printed the official World Postcard Day design provided by Postcrossing?
14%! At first glance, that might not seem like much… but actually, we think it’s not a bad number! If the percentage were too high, everyone would be receiving the same postcard design, which might get a bit repetitive. But if it were too low, it would mean our work was going unnoticed… So 14% feels like a good balance, and we’re curious to see how this number shifts in future years.
And that’s it for 2024’s census highlights! We’re big data nerds, so looking at numbers and statistics is always fascinating — we hope you found these insights as interesting as we did.
What do you think? Are you perhaps surprised by some of these, or is everything more or less what you expected?
A huge thank you again to everyone who took the time to participate! ❤️
(*) While 21,186 responses is a substantial sample, naturally we can’t assume it represents all postcrossers. Some people might be less at ease answering surveys (perhaps due to language barriers) which could influence the results. So, let’s keep that in mind and try to interpret the findings with caution!
36 comments so far
I believe the increase in postcards bought in online shops might also be connected to covid. Due to the pandemic lots of small shops were forced to close and might not have been able to recover the way big companies did. And also it might still feel safer for some of to order online than to go to shopping malls etc. I love browsing through etsy to find special postcards and supporting smaller artists.
In India it is getting difficult to find postcards. The most easiest method is online purchase. Back in 2015, when i started Postcrossing i was able to find them easily in Bookstores, Stationery, Post offices. But now here at least in Bangalore (one of the major metro cities of India) the trend of postcards are close to extinct. Let alone local shops, It is hard to find it even in the Philatelic bureau in GPO (due to less demand, they print lesser numbers). Everything is almost digital, hence people look at postcards like a vintage novelty and the places which sell the postcards end up charging too much. Sometimes it costs more to buy a postcard than to send it abroad.
Thanks for the sharing the survey results. Very interesting!
Do postcrosser now like sending or receiving more ? In comparison with previous years
Online postcard sources have grown because they provide more specialized series (trains, bookstores, science, collages) and choices. Still need local sources (grocery stores, museums, tourist stops) for the classic cards of the area. A final source for me is to create postcards using my photos of highlights of Arizona, trips to gold mines, hikes across Grand Canyon, etc. They are very useful when facing a recipient that already has thousands of cards.
Unsure how it works for others but the mobile experience has gotten worse, not better. And our participation has come way down for that single reason. We do postcrossing for fun, not to be annoyed by bad UI.
Really interesting results, and I appreciate your shining a light on the disability thing. I find that Postcrossing is a realm balm for exactly the reason you describe (small, self-paced, finite tasks).
Mobile usage is okay here and I use Smartphone in 95%. Greetings from Europe
Next census, I would be interested in the number of people making postcards at home versus sending their cards to be printed.
I can find postcards for the general area, some surrounding cities, and the big nearby tourist city, but not my own small city. Like arizpublaw, I make my own.
I use a postcard printing service. I have to buy 25 at a time, but I can mix up the images. It's great having a stack of ready-to-go cards for impulsive postcard sending.
I also make one-off cards by printing photos on a photo printer and using either a peel-n-stick product or PVA glue and card backing. I'm pleased that they look like traditional printed cards.
Very interesting - good information - I was interested in the disabilities question and happy to read Postcrossing is trying to become more accessible. Thanks for doing the census and sharing the results.
Hello. Very interesting data. Thank you for doing the survey and publishing the results. I understand that due to the importance of countries with fewer participants, such as Argentina or Uruguay, they are not included. In my case, the high cost of postage is a major obstacle to overcome. They do not mention extending the expiration time of shipments, they should be extended considering the slowness of many postal services. This item was among the suggestions in the survey when I completed it. Did no one ask to extend the expiration time of postcards? Thank you for your work. Greetings
Sorry I missed answering. Have built up a stock of cards. Most bought online.
Very interesting data. Ofc people are sending less postcards due to various restrictions including the Postcrossing limits. A person when they join they are very interested in sending many postcards but it limits them massively and by the time they get new slots it's already too late for them. Also it takes nearly 2+ yrs for countries like India, to reach 100 postcards officially, so by then the interest really diminishes.
Also non availability of postcards and people not liking self printed postcards do matter a lot too including increase in postage.
In India, it's very hard to get a proper postcard and most of the time stamps are hardly available.
Forum and the interface is hard to adapt is another factor. Many people don't even know that forum exists.
Anyway, with new stats there is hope for a better future and better user experience.
Happy writing everyone ❤️😊
i too think the trend toward online sources and away from actual shops has a lot to do with small businesses closing due to covid’s effect on the economy. i would prefer far more to get my postcards in person if i could, but there just aren’t as many shops as there used to be.
This was very interesting and I enjoyed reading the stats! With the cost of postage, especially internationally, I'm surprised how many continue sending. I've bought most of my postcards online and have been creating my own too. Such a FUN hobby & I'm happy to be a part of Postcrossing! 😊🇺🇸
Thank you for the work done! I am always interested in reading statistics and telling others about them 📈📉
The question of whether you printed the official design of the WPD seemed not quite clear to me... The thing is that sometimes one person prints a large number of postcards and sends them to everyone who agreed to print. That is, he undertakes to negotiate with the printing house, send the postcards to postcrossers on time, etc. It turns out that I personally did not print the postcards, but in the end I had them because I ordered this printing. Therefore, this question made me think and I do not remember how I answered.
Here I have noticed few members pointed out in India it is very difficult get the post cards. It is fact but we have formed a society named PSOI(Postcrossing Welfare Society of India) two years back. It is a registered one. Through this we are printing postcards and giving to members. Not only that we are encouraging young people by adding in our group and explaing and encouraging them to join in Post Crossing. Apart from this our leaders are coordinating with India Post dept. and giving awareness to public in many places about Post Crossing wherever it is possible.
We are having monthly meetings through zoom, ideas and suggestions are being exchanged.
At present we are having more than 130 members not only from India, few are from other nations.
If Post Crossing gives an opportunity, we can explain in more details how we are spreading the word "Post Crossing" across India.
Thanks.
David,
Hyderabad
Thanks for the feedback. Interesting statistics. I'm new to Postcrossing - still just around 100 postcards sent and received but my husband and I both love the postcards we receive and I love mailing them. I've just made a few of my own using personal photographs and printed on my color printer and I've also found airports are a good source for postcards. I've also started looking at charity shops and thrift stores and online "free" sites on social media forums.
I'm very much interested in a meet up but there hasn't been one near me. Maybe I will try to organize one in the next year.
I'm so happy to have found this group. Thanks for all you do.
I definately keep the postcard sellers in business!
Thanks for the sharing the survey results. Very interesting!
First of all thank you for all your hard work.
I love looking at data.
I was surprised that so many have not been to a meet up. They are so fun & really enlarged my view of Postcrossing.
I do miss the virtual meet-ups that were held during covid.
Anyway - great work.
Thank you for this interesting post: reading statistics always helps to understand reality, and for this reason I always answer if I can.
I also participated in the Postcrossing survey, and I agree with the analysis carried out.
I would like to add, however, that for me it is wonderful just to be part of this beautiful and unique community!
Warm greetings to everyone from Rome, Italy
A possible reason postcrossers buy online is that Postcrossing itself advertises about these shops. It’s easy to click on these advertisements. That’s why I don’t understand why Postcrossing reminds us all the time not to be too demanding about our wishes concerning receiving certain categories of postcards, while the shops just try to adapt their choice of cards to these particular demands…
Hello. Sorry I missed the survey. If I had answered some of the questions one answer would be =in the UK worldwide stamp prices are astronomical and the bought stamp is only a very boring Kings head that occasionally changes colour. I always feel sad that it is not more interesting ( and cheaper).
I send less cards than a few years ago because of this..
Happy Postcrossing to both Postcrossing worker bees that make it possible and postcrossers.
I was pleased to see that 15% of respondents are creating their own postcards. For me, Postcrossings is a wonderful creative outlet. I always feel sad when I read in profiles that creativity is not wanted, but only commercial postcards are desired.
Thank you very much for showing These Resultat - I enjoyed them very much! I especially appreciate the awareness for needs of disabled people. By the way: this non-pressure style of postcrossing also convinced me 10 years ago!
I would be interested in the question how many postcrossers are active in the forum and Even more the reasons for those who aren‘t 🙂
I really love Postcrossing.
But one of the reasons why i'm sending less postcards now, is that the postal charges here in Germany got so high. It's incredible that it keeps getting more and more expensive. International postcards were at 95 cents (0,95€) now they cost 1,25€!!!! That's an increase of more than 31%. The postcards within germany used to be 0,70€, now they're at 0,95€. It makes me angry because now even less people will send cards. I think the charges for hobbies like this should be lower, to encourage people to write more cards or letters again.
to " bg11"
Oh, you poor Germans!
Where are the days when we sent postcards so cheaply?
Now we send to Europe for 48 CZK (ca. 1.91 EUR) and overseas for 54 CZK (2.15 EUR). When I signed up for postcrossing in 2008, it was 17 CZK to Europe and 18 CZK to overseas. A decent increase, right?
And in Slovakia it's even worse: Europe 2.40 EUR and overseas 2.60 EUR.
Our salaries are half that of Germany...
Thanks for this post, most interesting!
I think it would be useful for both the end user and the postcrossing operators to know what percentage of people use mobile devices vs. desk top computers for postcrossing. I have recently noticed that the font size on your web page is exceptionally small for my old eyes. I may be able to correct this in my computer settings , but as I cycle through the open tabs in my browser right now, your page has the smallest fonts.
I use a computer exclusively for postcrossing; I've never looked at the site from a mobile device, and if there is a mobile application for it I am not aware of that. No doubt there are hard choices to make for a small non-profit operation like this one. I'd think that data point would be a valuable one to point you towards where to invest your limited resources.
I was happy to look at those stats and the point that touched me was about the disabilities question and how your team already find some solutions about this. Good start. Congrats :D
Thank you for this. I'll add another voice to those saying it's not as easy to find postcards as I wish. I live in the biggest city in my region (Halifax Nova Scotia) and while it's pretty easy to find greeting cards of all shapes, sizes and designs, finding postcards is a challenge, particularly in the winter. During the summer there are tourist shops that open up and I go on buying sprees to last me through the winter. BUT the cards I find are all aimed at the tourist market so limited in their themes. I would buy greeting cards and cut them, but the extra cost makes it not doable.
Thank you for all your work and evolution to keep Postcrossing running and a fun community to be a part of. Keep on mailing!
Thank you for all this extensive information. Postcrossing is something very special for me too, and not just a hobby. I also make postcards to sell, and a book about it was written about.
Very interesting data! I am curious to learn about what suggestions/frustrations Postcrossers discussed in the survey and how the preference for sending/receiving is now.
I always participate in the census and I am very happy that Postcrossing asks us for our viewpoints. I also always love reading the results of the census! :)
A comment for the czars at the Crystal Mountain......
In your statistics I would be interested in seeing the average number of days it took for a card to be registered from date of despatch to date of registration - listed by country..
For Indian Postcrossing friends - several of you mention a dearth of postcard availability in your country. Sounds like a marketing opportunity for an entreprenurial member!
Happy Postcrossing to all!
Chris
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