Verbraucher: Trotz Bargeldliebe: Deutschland holt beim Digitalzahlen auf

Germany is lagging behind in international comparisons when it comes to digital payments, but a study shows the country is making progress. In 2025, Germans made an average of 300 electronic payments per capita, according to an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for Deutsche Presse-Agentur. This figure is significantly lower than the EU average of around 400 and the figures for Nordic countries of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, which averaged around 700.

However, the number of payments per capita in Germany is growing faster than the EU average, at 10 percent compared to 8 percent for the EU. Markus Ampenberger, a BCG expert for payments and co-author of the study, notes that while Germany is catching up in digital payments, people are still loyal to cash. Denmark remains the country with the largest gap in digital payment usage.

The study also shows that Germany trails behind in the number of card payments, with an average of 196 per capita in 2025. This figure is also relatively low compared to other countries in the German-speaking region (216), the EU (327), and the Nordic countries (539). The USA leads in this regard with 647 card payments per capita.

The BCG study, now in its 24th edition, analyzes electronic payments made by consumers aged 15 and above, primarily based on data from the European Central Bank. Cash remains popular in Germany, but its usage is changing: in 2025, 55 percent of transactions were cashless, with older people, those with low income, or those with low digital experience being the primary users of cash.

Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) wants businesses and restaurants to accept both cash and digital payments, aiming to incorporate the proposed law into the cabinet's agenda this year and implement it by 2027.