Seventy six per cent of Cypriots shop online now, surpassing the previous high of 70 per cent in 2021, according to a survey released Monday.  

The frequency with which consumers make online purchases also increased, with the average number of purchases per month being 2.0 in 2025, 1.6 for 2023, and 1.2 for 2022.

These are the results of the office of the commissioner of electronic communications & postal regulation’s (OCECPR) set of national surveys, which collected data on the use of postal services from 1,009 citizens and 502 small and medium-sized businesses in early 2025.

Alongside an increase in online shopping, the survey also found that 9 out of 10 citizens use some form of postal services, marking a 1 per cent increase compared to 2023 and a 7 per cent decrease compared to 2022.

The Cyprus Post dominates as the main postal service provider for 95 per cent of citizens.

In contrast, the percentage of businesses using Cyprus Post decreased by almost 20 per cent from 2021 (47) to 2025 (28), while the number of businesses using private postal service providers increased by 20 per cent compared to 2021.

Though the frequency of receiving and sending letter mail has declined in recent years among citizens, 2025 saw a reversal of trends.

The average number of letters received increased from 26.7 times per year in 2023 to 31.6 times, while the number of letters sent per year increased from 17.2 times in 2023 to 18.1 times. 

Parcel deliveries have also increased, with the average number of deliveries per year rising from 16.9 times in 2023 to 19.9 times.

Among businesses, 71 per cent said that they send more parcels than letters, and 49 per cent expect an increase in parcel shipments over the next three years.

When asked about the cost of postal services, citizens considered the cost of sending letters to be reasonable and the cost of sending parcels to be high, though 56 per cent of citizens said that they do not compare prices between providers.

In fact, citizens report that the main criteria for choosing a postal service provider is not cost, but habit and previous experience, quality of service, and distance from the place of residence or work.

For businesses, waiting time, billing rates, branch networks, and the ability to track packages were considered important factors when choosing a postal service provider.