Employees work at the distribution center of a delivery company in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province. File Photo:Xinhua

China's courier delivering volume totaled 132 billion parcels in 2023, ranking first in the world for the 10th consecutive year, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said on Saturday.

According to the CFLP, China's logistics market experienced a sharp rebound last year, with the total value of consumer logistics expected to reach 350 trillion yuan ($49.18 trillion). 

National railway network delivered a combined 3.91 billion tons of cargo deliveries, hitting a yearly record high. Air cargo amounted to 7.35 million tons, recovering to pre-pandemic or 2019 levels.

In addition, the competitiveness of China's courier enterprises continues to increase. By the end of 2023, the country had more than 9,600 Grade- A logistics enterprises, which are categorized based on business performance and market competitiveness, the CFLP said.

The number of smart logistics enterprises is expanding steadily, with freight transportation platform companies are expected to exceed 3,000.

On December 5, 2023, China handled its 120 billionth courier parcel of the year, setting a new record for annual courier delivering volume, according to the State Post Bureau.

Monthly express delivery volume has exceeded 10 billion parcels since March, with an average business income hitting 90 billion yuan. In the country's peak delivery season, which starts in November, the sector continued the robust trend driven by the annual "Double 11" online shopping festival. During the shopping spree, daily deliveries have exceeded 430 million, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China's courier delivering sector saw booming growth in 2023 in tandem with the country's steady economic recovery. Last year, China's total GDP reached 126 trillion yuan, up 5.2 percent year-on-year, meeting the pre-set annual growth target of around 5 percent, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Consumption played a vital role in bolstering economic development in 2023. Final consumer spending volume contributed 82.5 percent of overall GDP growth, while retail sales set a new record of 47.15 trillion yuan.