Workers at an express delivery company's grid warehouse sort parcels on an intelligent express delivery line in Xinghua, East China's Jiangsu Province on May 20, 2026. Photo: VCG

China's courier sector saw steady growth in August, according to an industry index released by the State Post Bureau on Monday.

The express delivery development index stood at 431.7 in August, up 1.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the bureau.

The sub-index for development scale rose 4.2 percent year-on-year, while service quality figures remained unchanged from a year earlier. The sub-index for development capacity increased 1.6 percent.

In August, the country's courier sector maintained stable operations, effectively empowering the real economy to improve quality and supporting industrial transformation and upgrading, according to the bureau. 

The index is compiled based on data from major logistics firms operating delivery services. It reflects overall business activities and trends in the country's courier sector. 

The report noted that the facility layout has continued to improve. Express delivery companies have continued to enhance their hub networks, further strengthening regional material distribution capabilities, and the report also said that the transportation network has steadily expanded. 

Recently, YTO Express opened multiple international road freight routes from Nanjing and Suzhou to Bangkok, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, further connecting the Yangtze River Delta with major economic hubs in ASEAN.

Global Times