Cash usage in Europe continues to decline, and survey shows potential for the digital euro

Europe-wide BearingPoint survey on payment behavior

Cash usage in Europe continues to decline, and survey shows potential for the digital euro

Cash usage has declined across Europe, with only Germany and Austria maintaining consistently high levels. The digital euro holds promise, with more than one in three people already considering using it for online shopping. Free usage is by far the most important criterion for the digital euro. Banks are regarded as the trusted institutions for the digital euro. These are the findings of a new survey conducted by management and technology consultancy BearingPoint in nine European countries.

Stockholm, April 2, 2026 – The latest edition of the Europe-wide payment study conducted by the management and technology consultancy BearingPoint reveals that cash usage frequency across Europe has steadily declined over the past three years. Germany and Austria remain the strongholds of cash: Austria (71%) and Germany (73%) are significantly ahead of the other countries surveyed in the frequency of cash use. As expected, the highest usage in both countries is found in the 55+ age group, with 80% in Germany and 84% in Austria. Remarkably, the typically digitally savvy age group of 18–24-year-olds also shows high usage rates, at 64% in Germany and 57% in Austria. In Northern Europe, cash usage is lowest: in the three Nordic countries, Sweden (25%), Denmark (32%), and Finland (42%), cash is being used less and less frequently.

The study results show that, looking ahead, there is no indication of a shift away from cash, particularly in Germany and Austria: the majority of respondents in Germany (64%) cannot imagine abandoning cash within the next 10 years. This figure is surpassed only by Austria, where 68% of respondents say the same. Even in countries with highly developed digital payment ecosystems, such as Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, around 40% of respondents do not expect cash to disappear within the next decade.

Digital euro: Familiar, but still with room to grow
While, on average across the surveyed countries, one in three respondents would use the digital euro, a larger group (42%) remains undecided, highlighting its untapped potential. In Austria, the digital euro would see the highest adoption, with around 40% indicating they would use it, whereas in the Netherlands, the lowest expected usage is under 27%. In the Nordic countries, central bank digital currency (CBDC) would be used as a complement to cash by 21% in Denmark and 22% in Sweden, while in Switzerland, the figure is significantly higher at 37%.

Christian Bruck, Partner and payments expert at BearingPoint, comments: “Across Europe, cash usage is declining, yet interestingly it remains at a high level in the traditional cash-oriented countries Germany and Austria. What is remarkable is that even among the digitally savvy younger age groups, more than every second person still frequently uses cash and therefore central bank money. As a bridge between digital progress and the desire for security in the current geopolitical environment, the digital euro can make an important contribution to strengthening the resilience and sovereignty of the European payments landscape.”

More than one in three would use the digital euro for online shopping
On average across all surveyed countries, online shopping remains the preferred use case, similar to last year, with 37% indicating they would use the digital euro and 31% choosing CBDCs for this purpose. Ireland leads in the online shopping category for the digital euro, with 44%, followed by Finland at 40%. The second most important use case for the digital euro or CBDC is in-store shopping, mentioned by 28% and 22% of respondents, respectively.

Cost-free usage remains by far the most important criterion for the digital euro
Across the surveyed countries, the ranking of criteria for using the digital euro has once again remained consistent with last year’s results. Cost-free usage (41%) and acceptance everywhere, 24/7 (35%), remain the most important factors for adopting the digital euro. An outstanding user experience, by contrast, is a priority for only about one in five respondents.

Banks are the trusted institutions for the digital euro
Retail banks enjoy the highest level of trust when it comes to handling and storing transaction data – especially within the Eurozone. In countries planning to introduce the digital euro, trust in one’s own bank ranks highest at 41%, clearly surpassing trust in the ECB or other central banks. Only 4% of respondents would entrust their transaction data for a digital euro/CBDC to technology providers such as Apple or Google. Banks, therefore, remain the central pillar of trust for the digital euro.

Dr. Robert Bosch, Partner and Global Head of Financial Services at BearingPoint, concludes:
“The survey shows that central bank digital currencies, such as the digital euro, have firmly entered everyday public discussion. A key argument for the digital euro is the creation of an alternative to non-European payment schemes, thereby strengthening European independence. Beyond its basic payment function, further development stages appear to offer significant innovation potential. This could become an important contributor to the performance of the European economy and provide fresh impetus for growth.”

About the survey
The data used in this report is based on an online survey conducted between December 10 and 17, 2025, with a total of 10,123 participants from Austria (1,000), Switzerland (1,000), Germany (2,026), Denmark (1,023), Finland (1,009), France (1,052), Ireland (1,001), the Netherlands (1,003), and Sweden (1,009). The results were weighted and are representative of each country’s population aged 18 and older.

The survey was designed by BearingPoint and conducted by the market research institute YouGov across the nine countries mentioned above. The results were analyzed and consolidated by BearingPoint’s payments experts. BearingPoint has been conducting this survey regularly since 2019.