The figures measure the whole direct mail market and not just those items handled by Royal Mail.
The overall volume figure includes mail addressed to consumers and mail addressed to businesses. Consumer direct mail volume dropped 1.6% to 3.94bn items, while business direct mail dropped 3.6% to 1.09bn.
Providing more detail about the consumer direct mail market, Royal Mail identified which six market sectors that grew in volume: Education grew the most by 10.4%; followed by charity, up 9.5%; leisure and entertainment, up 3.7%; health, up 2.8%; home shopping and mail order, up 1.3%; and "other financial", up 0.2%.
The number of items sent to 55- to 64-year-olds increased by 11.5% and the number sent to recipients in social class AB climbed 1.1%.
The volume of direct mail sent in the fourth quarter of 2006 was 1.18bn, down 4.6% on the corresponding quarter last year.