‘Use it or lose it’: Surprising cash twist revealed in new data
Physical currency was supposed to be on the way out but a new survey tells a different story.
7news.com.auHere’s the latest on Australian cash use.
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Recent reports indicate a rebound in cash usage in Australia, with multiple sources noting an uptick in cash payments in 2025, reversing several years of decline. This marks the first increase in cash use since 2007, according to new data from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).[5][9]
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Confirmation from several outlets in April 2026 suggests cash accounted for around 15% of payments in 2025, up from about 13% in 2022, signaling a tangible “cash comeback” in many demographics and regions.[9][5]
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Analysts and cash advocates highlight that the shift persists despite banks’ continuing controls on cash access, and that a substantial portion of the population—particularly older Australians, lower-income groups, and regional residents—still rely on cash for daily transactions.[5][9]
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Public-facing coverage in late 2024 to 2026 consistently pointed to rising ATM withdrawals and renewed attention to cash-out campaigns, underscoring a broader debate about the role of cash in a largely digital payments landscape.[1][3][5]
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For a quick snapshot: if you want current numbers (percentage of payments made with cash, regional breakdowns, or age groups most affected), I can pull the latest figures from the RBA and summarize them in a table or chart.
Would you like a concise data table or a simple chart of the trend (cash share by year) with sources?
Citations:
- Australian cash use uptick and 2025 share around 15%[9][5]
- First increase since 2007 per IBA coverage and RBA data[5][9]
- ATM withdrawal and cash-use discussions in 2024–2026 coverage[3][1]