Cash and bank notes

• A Tale of Two Countries: Cash Demand in Canada and Sweden

  Staff discussion paper 2019-7 Walter Engert, Ben Fung, Björn Segendorf

  Cash use for payments has been steadily decreasing in many countries, including Canada and Sweden. This might suggest an evolution toward a cashless society. But in Canada, cash in circulation relative to GDP has been stable for decades and has even increased in recent years. By contrast, the cash-to-GDP ratio in Sweden has been falling steadily. What has caused this difference? Are there lessons to be learned from comparing the Canadian and Swedish experiences?

  Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers JEL Code(s): E, E4, E41, E42, E5 Research Theme(s): Money and payments, Cash and bank notes, Payment and financial market infrastructures, Retail payments