How is the cost of the stamp divided up for international postage?

Jeremy Sproket

If I post something from Dublin to Galway, An Post will obviously keep 100% of the stamp price.

If I post something to, say for example, Finland, where there are direct links from Ireland presumably they get a slice of the postage fee too (but how is that divided up)???

What about something a bit more obscure? Say I post a letter to Tajikistan.... there are not direct links there from Ireland or most of the EU, so the letter will presumably go to Russia or maybe Istanbul first and then finally Tajikistan ....is the cost of the stamp divided 3 ways? How is it done, who decides the proportionality of the divisions and how are Turkey/Russia/Finland/Tajikistan reimbursed?

L1011

Universal Postal Union works out all the rates and routes. All the tables are public but not easy to understand

Gregor Samsa

I like the way they're called the Universal Postal Union, and not the more obvious International Postal Union. Will save them a rebranding when we're sending letters to Proxima Centauri b.