BEIJING, Feb. 9 -- Courier services in China have seen a surge in parcel handling in early 2023, hitting 10 billion parcels by Feb. 8, according to the State Post Bureau (SPB) on Thursday.

The country's courier companies hit the 10-billion-parcels mark within the first 39 days of 2023, which is 40 days quicker than in 2019, before the COVID-19 epidemic struck.

This year's performance demonstrates the vitality, resilience and growth potential of China's express delivery industry, the SPB said, adding that it shows that consumer confidence is increasing, and the economic recovery is picking up pace.

Data also shows that the average number of parcels handled daily has exceeded 330 million since February, a fact that has contributed to the recovery of the consumer market.

This year, the SPB will promote the construction of the rural logistics system, enhance the deep integration of postal services and advanced manufacturing, and help build modern international companies in the sector.