Pieces of Mail Handled, Number of Post Offices, Income, and Expenses Since 1789

1789

75

$ 7,510

$ 7,560

Income and expenses listed for 1789 are for three months only.

1790

75

37,935

32,140

1791

89

46,294

36,697

1792

195

67,443

54,530

1793

209

104,746

72,039

1794

450

128,947

89,972

1795

453

160,620

117,893

1796

468

195,066

131,571

1797

554

213,998

150,114

1798

639

232,977

179,084

1799

677

264,846

188,037

1800

903

280,804

213,994

1801

1,025

320,442

255,151

1802

1,114

327,044

281,916

1803

1,258

351,822

322,364

1804

1,405

389,449

337,502

1805

1,558

421,373

377,367

1806

1,710

446,105

417,233

1807

1,848

478,762

453,885

1808

1,944

460,564

462,828

1809

2,012

506,633

498,012

1810

2,300

551,684

495,969

1811

2,403

587,246

499,098

1812

2,610

649,208

540,165

1813

2,708

703,154

631,011

1814

2,670

730,270

727,126

1815

3,000

1,043,065

748,121

Income first exceeded one million dollars in 1815.

1816

3,260

961,782

804,022

1817

3,459

1,002,973

916,515

1818

3,618

1,130,235

1,035,832

Expenses first exceeded one million dollars in 1818.

1819

4,000

1,204,737

1,117,861

1820

4,500

1,111,927

1,160,926

1821

4,650

1,059,087

1,165,481

1822

4,709

1,117,490

1,167,572

1823

4,043

1,130,115

1,156,995

1824

5,182

1,197,758

1,188,019

1825

5,677

1,306,525

1,229,043

1826

6,150

1,447,703

1,366,712

1827

7,300

1,524,633

1,469,959

1828

7,530

1,659,915

1,689,945

1829

8,004

1,707,418

1,782,132

1830

8,450

1,850,583

1,932,708

1831

8,686

1,997,811

1,936,122

1832

9,205

2,258,570

2,266,171

1833

10,127

2,617,011

2,930,414

1834

10,693

2,823,749

2,910,605

1835

10,770

2,993,556

2,757,350

1836

11,091

3,408,323

2,841,766

1837

11,767

4,101,703

3,288,319

1838

12,519

4,238,733

4,430,662

1839

12,780

4,484,657

4,636,536

1840

13,468

4,543,522

4,718,236

1841

13,778

4,407,726

4,499,687

1842

13,733

4,546,850

4,627,717

1843

13,814

4,296,225

4,374,754

1844

14,103

4,237,288

4,298,513

1845

14,183

4,289,842

4,320,732

1846

14,601

3,487,199

4,076,037

1847

124,173,000

15,146

3,880,309

3,979,542

1848

16,159

4,555,211

4,326,850

1849

16,749

4,705,176

4,479,049

1850

18,417

5,499,985

5,212,953

1851

19,796

6,410,601

6,278,402

1852

20,901

5,184,526

7,108,459

1853

22,320

5,240,725

7,982,757

1854

23,548

6,255,586

8,577,424

1855

24,410

6,642,136

9,968,342

1856

25,565

6,920,822

10,405,286

1857

26,586

7,353,952

11,508,058

1858

27,977

7,486,793

12,722,470

1859

28,539

7,968,484

15,754,093

1860

28,498

8,518,067

14,874,601

1861

28,586

8,349,296

13,606,759

1862

28,875

8,299,821

11,125,364

1863

29,047

11,163,790

11,314,207

1864

28,878

12,438,254

12,644,786

1865

28,882

14,556,159

13,694,728

1866

29,389

14,386,986

15,352,079

1867

25,163

15,237,027

19,235,483

1868

26,481

16,292,001

22,730,793

1869

27,106

17,314,176

23,698,132

1870

28,492

18,879,537

23,998,838

1871

30,045

20,037,045

24,390,104

1872

31,863

21,915,426

26,658,192

1873

33,244

22,996,742

29,084,946

1874

34,294

26,471,072

32,126,415

1875

35,547

26,791,314

33,611,309

1876

36,383

28,644,198

33,236,488

1877

37,345

27,531,585

33,486,322

1878

38,253

29,277,517

34,165,084

1879

40,588

30,041,983

33,449,899

1880

42,989

33,315,479

36,542,804

1881

44,512

36,785,398

39,592,566

1882

46,231

41,876,410

40,482,021

1883

46,820

45,508,693

43,282,944

1884

48,434

43,325,959

47,224,560

1885

51,252

42,560,844

50,046,235

1886

3,747,000,000

53,614

43,948,423

51,004,744

1887

3,495,100,000

55,157

48,837,609

53,006,194

1888

3,576,100,000

57,376

52,695,177

56,458,315

1889

3,860,200,000

58,999

56,175,611

62,317,119

1890

4,005,408,000

62,401

60,882,098

66,259,548

1891

4,369,900,000

64,329

65,931,786

73,059,519

1892

4,776,575,000

67,119

70,930,475

76,980,846

1893

5,021,841,000

68,403

75,896,993

81,581,681

1894

4,919,090,000

69,805

75,080,479

84,994,112

1895

5,134,281,000

70,064

76,983,128

87,179,551

1896

5,693,719,000

70,360

82,499,208

90,932,670

1897

5,781,002,000

71,022

82,665,462

94,077,242

1898

6,214,447,000

73,570

89,012,618

98,053,523

1899

6,576,310,000

75,000

95,021,384

101,632,161

1900

7,129,990,000

76,688

102,353,579

107,740,268

1901

7,424,390,000

76,945

111,631,193

115,554,921

The number of Post Offices peaked in 1901. The growth of rural free delivery, which became a permanent service in 1902, contributed to subsequent declines in the number of Post Offices.

1902

8,085,447,000

75,924

121,848,047

124,785,697

1903

8,867,467,000

74,169

134,224,443

138,784,488

1904

9,502,460,000

71,131

143,582,624

152,362,117

1905

10,187,506,000

68,131

152,826,585

167,399,169

1906

11,361,091,000

65,600

167,932,783

178,449,779

1907

12,255,666,000

62,658

183,585,006

190,238,288

1908

13,364,069,000

60,704

191,478,663

208,351,886

1909

14,004,577,000

60,144

203,562,383

221,004,103

1910

14,850,103,000

59,580

224,128,658

229,977,225

1911

16,900,552,000

59,237

237,879,824

237,648,927

1912

17,588,659,000

58,729

246,744,016

248,525,450

1913

18,567,445,000

58,020

266,619,526

262,067,541

1914

56,810

287,934,565

283,543,769

1915

56,380

287,248,165

298,546,026

1916

55,935

312,057,689

306,204,033

1917

55,414

329,726,116

319,838,718

1918

54,347

388,975,962

324,833,728

1919

53,084

436,239,126

362,497,636

1920

52,641

437,150,212

454,322,609

1921

52,168

463,491,275

620,993,674

1922

51,950

484,853,541

545,644,209

1923

23,054,832,000

51,613

532,827,925

556,850,966

1924

51,266

572,948,778

587,376,916

1925

50,957

599,591,478

639,281,648

1926

25,483,529,000

50,601

659,819,801

679,704,053

1927

26,686,556,000

50,266

683,121,989

714,577,492

1928

26,837,005,000

49,944

693,633,921

725,699,766

1929

27,951,548,000

49,482

696,947,578

782,343,648

1930

27,887,823,000

49,063

705,484,098

803,667,219

1931

26,544,352,000

48,733

656,463,383

802,484,840

1932

24,306,744,000

48,159

588,171,923

793,684,323

1933

19,868,456,000

47,641

587,631,364

699,887,186

1934

20,625,827,000

46,506

586,733,166

630,732,934

1935

22,331,752,000

45,686

630,795,302

696,503,235

1936

23,571,315,000

45,230

665,343,356

753,616,212

1937

25,801,279,000

44,877

726,201,110

772,743,145

1938

26,041,979,000

44,586

728,634,051

772,307,506

1939

26,444,846,000

44,327

745,955,075

784,549,842

1940

27,749,467,000

44,024

766,948,627

807,629,180

1941

29,235,791,000

43,739

812,827,735

836,858,580

1942

30,117,633,000

43,358

859,817,491

873,950,372

1943

32,818,262,000

42,654

966,227,288

952,529,098

1944

34,930,685,000

42,161

1,112,877,174

1,068,986,872

Income and expenses first exceeded one billion dollars in 1944.

1945

37,912,067,000

41,792

1,314,240,132

1,145,002,246

1946

36,318,158,000

41,751

1,224,572,173

1,353,654,000

1947

37,427,706,000

41,760

1,299,141,041

1,504,799,000

1948

40,280,374,000

41,695

1,410,971,284

1,687,805,000

1949

43,555,108,000

41,607

1,571,851,202

2,149,322,000

1950

45,063,737,000

41,464

1,677,486,967

2,222,949,000

1951

46,908,410,000

41,193

1,776,816,354

2,341,399,000

1952

49,905,875,000

40,919

1,947,316,280

2,666,860,000

1953

50,948,156,000

40,609

2,091,714,112

2,742,126,000

1954

52,213,170,000

39,405

2,268,516,717

2,667,664,000

1955

55,233,564,000

38,316

2,349,476,528

2,712,150,214

1956

56,441,216,000

37,515

2,419,353,664

2,883,305,122

1957

59,077,633,000

37,012

2,496,614,310

3,044,438,004

1958

60,129,911,000

36,308

2,550,220,791

3,440,810,346

1959

61,247,220,000

35,750

3,035,231,808

3,640,368,053

1960

63,674,604,000

35,238

3,276,588,433

3,873,952,908

1961

64,932,859,000

34,955

3,423,058,716

4,249,413,744

1962

66,493,190,000

34,797

3,557,040,595

4,331,617,483

1963

67,852,738,000

34,498

3,879,127,992

4,698,527,911

1964

69,676,477,000

34,040

4,276,123,326

4,927,824,958

1965

71,873,166,000

33,624

4,483,389,833

5,275,839,877

1966

75,607,302,000

33,121

4,784,186,482

5,726,522,930

1967

78,366,572,000

32,626

5,101,982,384

6,249,026,677

1968

79,516,731,000

32,260

5,660,111,244

6,680,971,666

1969

82,004,501,000

32,064

6,255,883,348

7,278,849,508

1970

84,881,833,000

32,002

6,472,737,791

7,982,551,936

1971

86,983,000,000

31,947

8,751,484,000

8,955,264,000

Effective July 1, 1971, the Post Office Department was transformed into the United States Postal Service, an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States .

1972

87,156,084,000

31,686

9,308,379,000

9,585,369,000

1973

89,683,439,000

31,385

9,824,540,000

9,926,441,000

1974

90,098,108,000

31,000

10,758,759,000

11,295,339,000

1975

89,265,979,000

30,754

11,548,104,000

12,574,205,000

1976

89,767,903,000

30,521

12,843,714,000

13,922,736,000

1977

92,223,912,000

30,521

14,709,939,000

15,310,169,000

1978

96,913,154,000

30,518

15,854,566,000

16,219,619,000

1979

99,828,883,000

30,449

17,825,629,000

17,529,303,000

1980

106,311,062,000

30,326

18,752,915,000

19,412,587,000

1981

110,130,400,000

30,242

20,408,000,000

21,369,000,000

1982

114,049,205,000

30,155

23,307,000,000

22,826,000,000

The Postal Service last received a public service subsidy

(taxpayer dollars) in 1982.

1983

119,381,409,000

29,990

24,370,667,000

24,083,073,000

1984

131,544,620,000

29,750

26,192,554,000

26,357,353,000

1985

140,097,956,000

29,557

28,705,691,000

29,207,201,000

1986

147,375,805,000

29,344

30,817,927,000

30,716,595,000

1987

153,930,574,000

29,319

32,178,112,000

32,519,689,000

1988

160,953,625,000

29,203

35,553,000,000

36,119,000,000

1989

161,603,264,000

29,083

38,415,000,000

38,371,000,000

1990

166,300,770,000

28,959

39,654,830,000

40,489,884,000

1991

165,850,600,000

28,912

43,884,472,000

42,119,000,000

1992

166,443,400,000

28,837

46,695,800,000

45,652,878,000

1993

171,220,000,000

28,728

47,582,000,000

46,321,600,000

1994

178,039,400,000

28,657

49,383,400,000

48,455,200,000

1995

180,733,700,000

28,392

54,293,500,000

50,730,200,000

1996

183,439,500,000

28,189

56,402,000,000

53,113,000,000

1997

190,888,100,000

28,060

58,216,000,000

55,131,000,000

1998

196,904,700,000

27,952

60,072,000,000

57,786,000,000

1999

201,576,300,000

27,893

62,726,000,000

60,642,000,000

2000

207,882,200,000

27,876

64,540,000,000

62,992,000,000

2001

207,462,600,000

27,876

65,834,000,000

65,640,000,000

2002

202,821,900,000

27,791

66,463,000,000

65,234,000,000

2003

202,184,700,000

27,556

68,529,000,000

63,902,000,000

2004

206,105,600,000

27,505

68,996,000,000

65,851,000,000

2005

211,742,700,000

27,385

69,907,400,000

68,281,000,000

2006

213,137,700,000

27,318

72,650,400,000

71,681,000,000

2007

212,234,000,000

27,276

74,778,100,000

80,105,000,000

2008

202,702,900,000

27,232

74,932,000,000

77,738,000,000

2009

176,744,000,000

27,161

68,090,500,000

71,830,000,000

2010

170,859,000,000

27,077

67,052,000,000

75,426,000,000

2011

168,297,000,000

26,927

65,711,000,000

70,634,000,000

2012

159,835,000,000

26,755

65,223,000,000

80,964,000,000

2013

158,222,000,000

26,670

67,318,000,000

72,128,000,000

2014

155,532,000,000

26,669

67,830,000,000

73,178,000,000

2015

154,321,000,000

26,615

68,928,000,000

73,826,000,000

2016

154,342,000,000

26,611

71,498,000,000

76,899,000,000

2017

149,590,000,000

26,410

69,636,000,000

72,210,000,000

2018

146,402,000,000

26,365

70,660,000,000

74,445,000,000

2019

142,562,000,000

26,362

71,154,000,000

79,879,000,000

2020

129,171,000,000

26,362

73,133,000,000

82,187,000,000

2021

128,842,000,000

26,362

77,041,000,000

81,844,000,000

2022

127,444,000,000

26,269

78,620,000,000

79,570,000,000

2023

116,146,000,000

26,261

78,383,000,000

85,387,000,000