The Bank of Portugal published its 2024 Report on Cash Issuance, reporting a further decline in net banknote issuance alongside increased net coin issuance, and setting out operational statistics on production, cash flows, recirculation controls, counterfeiting and consumer handling. Valora produced 165.5 million EUR 20 banknotes allocated to the Bank of Portugal under an agreement with the Austrian and Belgian central banks. Banknote inflows totalled EUR 9,740 million and outflows EUR 5,648.9 million, with treasury-operations rule changes encouraging exchanges between credit institutions and cash-in-transit companies, while tourism-related demand continued to contribute to accumulation of banknotes at the central bank, particularly higher denominations. For coins, EUR 66.5 million was issued and EUR 38.9 million returned, with 1 and 2 cent coins accounting for more than half of coins put into circulation; two coin exchange operations with the Belgian Treasury and the central bank of Slovakia were reported as favourable for the Portuguese State. The central bank checked the authenticity and fitness of 405 million banknotes and 90 million coins, identifying 104 million banknotes and 485,000 coins unfit for recirculation, and manually assessed 588,000 damaged banknotes and 277,000 coins, returning EUR 12.5 million to holders. Credit institutions and cash-in-transit companies processed nine times more banknotes and 22 times more coins than the Bank of Portugal, which conducted 614 inspections to enforce recirculation rules; unfit banknotes were destroyed, producing 88 tonnes of fragments used to produce energy, alongside tests and a competition for more sustainable alternatives to incineration. Detected counterfeits totalled 11,039 banknotes and 2,601 coins, and 1,077 cash-related complaints led to five administrative offence proceedings; the Bank’s cash offices received more than 189,000 visitors and it ran 487 training courses on euro cash for over 12,000 participants, including a redesigned remote learning platform aimed at retailers.
Bank of Portugal 2025-04-22
Bank of Portugal publishes 2024 cash issuance report showing lower net banknote issuance and 165.5 million EUR 20 banknotes produced
The Bank of Portugal's 2024 Report on Cash Issuance highlights a decline in net banknote issuance and an increase in net coin issuance, with statistics on production, cash flows, and counterfeiting. Valora produced 165.5 million EUR 20 banknotes, while banknote inflows and outflows were EUR 9,740 million and EUR 5,648.9 million, respectively. The central bank conducted 614 inspections, destroyed unfit banknotes, and identified 11,039 counterfeit banknotes and 2,601 counterfeit coins.