Banknotes statistics refer to data on outstanding amounts (stocks) and transactions (flows) of euro banknotes and coins
Banknotes statistics refer to data on outstanding amounts (stocks) and transactions (flows) of euro banknotes and coins, divided into: issued into circulation, returned from circulation, sorted to check authenticity & fitness and sorted to unfit during the reporting period. The dataset includes also data on collector coins issued net of collector coins returned. Data on the number of NCBs and commercial banks branches which provides cash related services are also included.
For non-euro area Member States, banknotes and coins in circulation as well as Collector Coins are provided.
The ECB closely monitors the stock and circulation of euro banknotes and coins. It is the Eurosystem’s task to ensure a smooth and efficient supply of euro banknotes and to maintain their integrity. Euro banknotes and coins first came into circulation on 1 January 2002, replacing national currencies. Today, euro banknotes and coins are legal tender in 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union.
For the euro area Member States: banknotes and coins are available in ‘thousands’ of euro or as a pure number (quantities).For non-euro area Member States: banknotes and coins are available in ‘thousands’ of national currency units, for each country.
EU 27
For euro area Member States, the ECB publishes data on a monthly basis (around the 12th working day). Data on cash logistics are published at semi-annual frequency. Time series start from January 2002.
For non-euro area Member States, the ECB collects banknotes and coins data as part of the “payments statistics” reporting framework. This data collection takes place in Q3 of each year, and publication takes place the same year, in mid-September. Time series start from January 2000.
For euro area and non-euro area Member States, the ECB collects data directly from the National Central Banks.
Monthly
Monthly
For information about the naming convention (series key dimensions and metadata), refer to the BKN underlying DSD (ECB_BKN1) maintained by the ECB.
Stock and flow for euro area Member States; stocks only for non-euro area Member States.
Stocks data refer to the amount outstanding at the end of the reporting period; flows data refer to the cumulated amount. Both items are denominated in thousands of pieces (for series of quantities) and in thousand of Euro or thousands of national currency units (for series of values).
Data are not seasonally adjusted.
BKN - Banknotes statistics
National Central Banks (NCBs) and ECB
Banknotes
Quality is ensured by means of a comprehensive legal framework included in:
- Decision of the European Central Bank of 19 April 2013 on the denominations, specifications, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (recast) (ECB/2013/10) (2013/211/EU)
- Guideline on the enforcement of measures to counter non-compliant reproductions of euro banknotes and on the exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (ECB/2003/5) (2003/206/EC), March 2003
Coins
Quality is ensured by means of a comprehensive legal framework included in:
- Council Regulation (EU) No 729/2014 of 24 June 2014 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation (Recast);
- Council Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 of 6 December 2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins;
- Council Regulation (EC) No 2183/2004 of 6 December 2004 extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins
For euro area Member States, the ECB publishes data on a monthly basis (around the 12th working day). Data on cash logistics are published at semi-annual frequency. Time series start from January 2002.
For non-euro area Member States, the ECB collects banknotes and coins data as part of the “payments statistics” reporting framework. This data collection takes place in Q3 of each year, and publication takes place the same year, in mid-September. Time series start from January 2000.
ECB's Data Portal and ECB website
For euro area data, no press release takes place.
For non-euro area data, a press release in Q3 of each year announces the publication of the latest data and revisions.
For euro area and non-euro area Member States, the ECB collects data directly from the National Central Banks.
Principal legislation — banknotes:
- Decision of the European Central Bank of 19 April 2013 on the denominations, specifications, reproduction, exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (recast) (ECB/2013/10) (2013/211/EU)
- Guideline on the enforcement of measures to counter non-compliant reproductions of euro banknotes and on the exchange and withdrawal of euro banknotes (ECB/2003/5) (2003/206/EC), March 2003
Principal legislation — coins:
- Council Regulation (EU) No 729/2014 of 24 June 2014 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation (Recast);
- Council Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 of 6 December 2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins;
- Council Regulation (EC) No 2183/2004 of 6 December 2004 extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Regulation (EC) No 2182/2004 concerning medals and tokens similar to euro coins
Download the series catalogue containing a full list of series and associated metadata of the dataset BKN in CSV format (zipped)