La Poste's announcement of a new rate increase for press transport continues to provoke reactions. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, this 7% increase comes against an already tense backdrop for print titles. In response, representatives of more than 2,500 publications are calling on the French government to reconsider its public service mission.
Publishers are denouncing a U-turn by La Poste, which had signed an agreement in 2022 guaranteeing price visibility until 2027. According to the Alliance de la presse d'information générale (APIG), SEPM and FNPS, La Poste has invoked a review clause to justify this early increase. In particular, La Poste claims that its press distribution costs will increase by 40% by 2023.
This decision has given rise to considerable misunderstanding within the industry. For the unions, it is above all an attempt to compensate for the structural decline in traditional mail, by transferring the financial burden to publishers.
In the Finance Bill for 2026, funding for distribution support (postage + carriage) would fall by 10 million euros to 139 million euros. Specific support for postal services, at around 75 million euros in 2025, would fall to 70 million euros in 2026.
The 7% increase announced by La Poste as of January 1, 2026 will have a direct impact on the unit price of press delivery by post. For PIPG (presse d'information politique et generale) titles, the average rate will rise from 0.35 to 0.38 Âeuros per copy. Specialized publications, meanwhile, would see their cost rise from 0.50 to around 0.53 Âeuros. For titles outside the scope of postal aid, the rate would now be around 1 euro, compared with the current 0.90 Âeuros.
Against this backdrop, La Poste is forecasting a 40% increase in distribution costs by 2023. The structural decline in mail volumes is now weighing heavily on the group's accounts, and it is seeking to transfer some of these costs to other segments, notably the press.
But from the publishers' point of view, this logic amounts to making a fragile sector bear the consequences of a postal decline that is not of its making. The state-owned company has posted a profit of 1.4 billion euros in 2023, which fuels incomprehension. Press professionals believe that it is neither up to them, nor their subscribers, to compensate for a declining business model.
In fact, more than two million paper copies are still distributed every day by La Poste, even in the most remote areas. This postal press service is governed by law, and is one of the last links in the chain of equal access to information. This price increase directly threatens the economic viability of a paper version at a time when dematerialization is gaining ground.
Despite the growth in digital subscriptions and online audiences, print revenues still account for up to 80% of sales, depending on the publisher. This revenue helps finance the entire editorial chain, including investment in digital.
At a time when every budget line is under scrutiny and every French citizen is being asked to make an effort, it's time for all players, from the State to La Poste and publishers, to assume their full share of responsibility within a global, clear and sustainable budgetary framework. When you consider that direct and indirect aid to the press exceeds 460 million euros a year, and could reach 564.5 million by 2025 on a constant perimeter basis, the question is no longer just how much is spent, but how consistent and effective it is.
