Sweden Sees Continued Decline in Cash Withdrawals with Regional Variations

Cash withdrawals across Sweden have continued their downward trend in the second half of 2025, with average amounts withdrawn per person falling to 335 SEK per month. This represents a 15% decrease compared to the same period in 2024, continuing a long-term annual decline of about 10%, according to Bankomat. The reduction is partly attributed to a significant number of cash machines being out of service during July and August 2025, coinciding with Bankomat taking over responsibility for cash transportation to ATMs.

Regionally, there are notable differences in withdrawal amounts. Residents of Skåne län withdrew the most cash, averaging 434 SEK per month, followed by Blekinge län at 354 SEK. Meanwhile, Östergötlands län recorded the lowest withdrawals with an average of only 195 SEK monthly.

The temporary outage of numerous ATMs during midsummer months appears to have contributed to the sharper decline seen during this period. Despite technological advances and increasing digital payments, the data highlights that a segment of the population still relies on cash, though less so than before.

This ongoing decline reflects broader shifts in payment habits and operational challenges faced by cash infrastructure in Sweden. If these trends persist, Sweden may see further reductions in cash usage and availability across regions.