USPS On-Time First-Class Mail Delivery Reportedly Falls to Around 75 Percent

A Providence Journal report claims only about 75 percent of first-class mail is being delivered on time, though the post does not specify the measurement period and the figure has not been confirmed by a primary USPS or Postal Regulatory Commission release. Primary data does point in the same direction: the PRC says FY 2025 on-time performance for Single-Piece Letters/Postcards was roughly 3 percentage points below FY 2024, and USPS reported First-Class Mail revenue fell $31 million on a volume decline of 691 million pieces in its latest quarterly results. If confirmed, the figure would represent a significant miss against the Delivering for America plan's 95 percent on-time target.

A Providence Journal report, circulated via a Facebook post, claims only about 75 percent of first-class mail is being delivered on time. The post does not specify the measurement window, and the figure has not yet been confirmed by a primary USPS or Postal Regulatory Commission data release.

Primary data does point in the same general direction. The Postal Regulatory Commission says FY 2025 on-time performance for Single-Piece Letters/Postcards was approximately 3 percentage points below FY 2024. Separately, USPS said First-Class Mail revenue decreased $31 million, or 0.5 percent, on a volume decline of 691 million pieces, or 6.3 percent, in its latest quarterly results.

The relevant benchmark is USPS's own execution target: the original Delivering for America plan set a 95 percent on-time delivery goal for all mail products, even after the agency increased standard delivery time for over 30 percent of mail.

That adds to an already difficult operating picture for a self-financing network that says it serves more than 170 million addresses and generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses. However, the available data does not establish a direct causal link between delivery performance and the volume decline.

If a primary USPS or PRC release eventually confirms a figure near 75 percent for a defined period, the conversation could shift from routine service slippage to broader questions about the 10-year plan's credibility on reliability.

Sources: Providence Journal via Facebook; Postal Regulatory Commission, State of the Postal Service; USPS Q2 FY2026 results; USPS OIG reports.