The cost of shipping packages around the world has steadily become more expensive and there are several, dynamic factors that go into a cost assessment. This leads to parts of Europe being considerably more than others, with war-torn Eastern Europe leading the expenditure tables.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are the states where it is most expensive to ship to, with an average of 143.74€. The three countries are neighbours in the Caucasus region; hence this is the reason why the shipping costs are similar. In second place are Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus, with an average shipping cost of 143.56€; and Serbia is the third most expensive state to ship to with an average of 129.86€.
The data has been compiled and analysed by the cross-border shopping platform UBuy Switzerland. The study compared shipping costs from everywhere in the world to all European countries, then calculated the average to discover which countries are most expensive to ship to.
Further down on the list, there are five different countries in fourth place: Iceland, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. In these countries, the average shipping cost is 129.50€.
The full top ten is:
| Top European states where is the most expensive to ship to | ||
| Rank | State | Average cost (€) |
| 1 | Armenia / Azerbaijan / Georgia | 143.74 |
| 2 | Moldova / Ukraine / Belarus | 143.56 |
| 3 | Serbia | 129.86 |
| 4 | Iceland / North Macedonia / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Montenegro / Albania | 129.50 |
| 5 | Turkey | 129.49 |
| 6 | Liechtenstein / Norway / Switzerland | 129.46 |
| 7 | Gibraltar | 129.40 |
| 8 | Cyprus | 117.42 |
| 9 | Andorra | 114.16 |
| 10 | Malta | 113.65 |
The top five closes with Turkey, whose cost differs from the previous spot by 0.01€, as the average shipping is 120.49€. This further underlines the closeness in prices expected from neighbouring countries and the overall high shipping costs to the Caucasus region and the Balkans.
The second part of the top 10 sees Western European countries, as Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are the sixth countries on the list with an average shipping cost of 129.46€.
Gibraltar takes the seventh spot with 129.40€, while Cyprus is eighth with an average shipping cost of 117.42€. The last two spots are occupied by Andorra and Malta, with an average shipping of 114.16€ and 113.65€, respectively.
Most of the countries listed in the top five are situated in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus region. The elevated costs to ship in the region can be attributed to various factors including geopolitical complexities, infrastructure challenges, and customs regulations.
