While cash is the most popular means of payment in Europe, it is used the least in the Netherlands, according to the European Central Bank (ECB).

Debit cards preferred over cash in the Netherlands

Whether it's getting groceries at the supermarket or paying for a meal at a restaurant, Dutch residents only use cash for one in five payments, preferring to use digital payment methods instead. This means that out of all the European countries, the Netherlands uses cash the least. 

This is reflected in the amount of cash residents carry: the average resident carries 35 euros in cash which is less than the European average of 59 euros. People in the Netherlands also use their debit cards more often than in other countries.

With one in five payments, Dutch consumers use their mobile phones to make payments the most compared to the rest of the EU. The popularity of digital debit cards, iDeal and Tikkie is most likely the reason for this. 

Use of cash in Europe declining slowly

According to research by the European Central Bank (ECB), the favourite payment method across Europe remains cash, with more than 50 percent of transactions using banknotes and coins. However, its use is declining: from 59 percent in 2022 to 52 percent in 2024.

Residents in 14 of the 20 Eurozone countries prefer to use cash, with Slovenia, Malta, Austria and Italy using the payment method more than 60 percent of the time, reports AD. In the Netherlands and Finland, this drops to less than 30 percent of transactions.