(Yicai Global) May 31 -- China's postal service ranked 15th among 173 countries worldwide, according to a report published by a United Nations specialized agency.

Switzerland took the top spot on the integrated postal development index for the second year running, followed by the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and France, the Universal Postal Union said in its Postal Development Report 2018.

Postal services in China are mainly provided by state-owned China Post, which was established in 1949. It uses nearly 40,000 delivery vehicles across the country to serve customers.

The Postal Development Report measures four areas of development -- reliability, reach, relevance and resilience. To compare postal services, other factors such as the delivery speed and predictability, cooperation networks, the volume of international business, and service demand are also taken into account.

"Posts are a key driver for a country's sustainable economic development," the report said. "Posts could contribute to the achievement of financial inclusion by leveraging their vast networks."

The Universal Postal Union joined the UN system in 1948.

Editor: Mevlut Katik