The price of a standard stamp will go up by 25 cent in response to continued high energy and transport costs as well as falling letter volumes.
Bad news for all the philatelists and letter writers out there as An Post has announced yet another increase in the price of a stamp, which will come into effect from 27th February.
The price of a stamp for a standard letter or postcard will go up by 25 cent to €1.65. This equates to an increase of almost 18%.
Last year An Post raised the price of a stamp by 5 cent. And since 2020 the cost has gone up by a whopping 65%, well above the general rate of inflation.
Also increasing is the cost of sending a standard international letter will increase by 45 cent to €2.65 and its digital stamp will go up by 22 cent to €2.22. Some other rates such as those for large envelopes and Registered Post will also increase.
Despite the hikes, An Post claims the cost of postage here is still below the European average, especially when adjusted for income levels. It says the average price of a national stamp across 14 European Union countries plus the UK is €1.88, while you might want to spare a thought for those living in Denmark where the cost of a stamp is over €5!
SMEs can avail of a €1.55 national stamp price through the An Post Advantage Card - a discount of 6%, down from the 11% discount they currently receive.
| An Post stamp price | May 2020 | May 2021 | March 2022 | February 2023 | February 2024 | February 2025 |
| Standard | €1.00 | €1.10 | €1.25 | €1.35 | €1.40 | €1.65 |
| International | €1.70 | €2.00 | €2.20 | €2.20 | €2.20 | €2.65 |
| Digital | N/A | N/A | €2.00 | €2.00 | €2.00 | €2.22 |
Why the increase?
Up until 2020, An Post hadn't increased the price of a stamp for around four years.
However extra costs incurred due to the Covid pandemic, and then a big increase in transport and fuel costs due to the energy crisis, have led to several price increases.
An Post has also had to deal with a dramatic fall in postage levels, which have declined over 8% in the last 12 months and 50% in the last decade, while remaining committed to providing a top-quality, next-day service to the door for all customers. This is despite an increasing number of European countries reducing letter delivery frequency to just once or twice a week due to falling letter volumes. And its ‘Check-Ins’ by postal delivery staff on older, vulnerable or isolated customers living alone are now a standard part of An Post’s service nationally.
The company is also at pains to point out that it's an independent company and remains entirely self-financed, having repaid a Government loan in full in 2024.
An Post’s quality of service is amongst the highest in Europe. We’re alleviating the impact on SMEs and personal customers by providing discounts and regular price promotions through the year at post offices and online. I’m also pleased to confirm that An Post’s Community Focus supports including free postage up to 1kg to all nursing and care homes will continue throughout 2025."
Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Letters and Parcels
Going green
An Post also continues to invest in the sustainability of its transport fleet.
By the end of 2025, half of all letters will be delivered by An Post electric vehicles or those that use alternative fuel to help reduce emissions and air pollution in cities and local communities throughout Ireland.
Investment to date, all from An Post’s own resources, means that all deliveries and collections within Irish cities are already emission-free.
Will older stamps still be accepted?
Yes.
Any existing National ‘N’ rate stamps will automatically represent the new €1.65 postage rate while Worldwide ‘W’ stamps still cover the €2.65 international letter rate.
