Cash Around the World: Declining Use, Enduring Importance

A quick review of the results of recent payment studies in a number of advanced economies tells us a remarkably consistent story – cash is no longer the default payment method but remains far from obsolete. The common challenge is not simply falling cash use, but a growing tension between reduced everyday use and the need to maintain reliable access, acceptance and infrastructure for those who still depend on it.

In this article, we summarise these reports and studies (all of which have been covered in greater detail in Currency News™ sister publication Cash & Payment News™).

Europe: use of cash by companies in the euro area in 2026

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a paper on the use of cash by companies in the 21 Eurosystem countries based on its 2026 survey [1] which shows more companies accepting cash and no plans to change that.