Cash supply
The number of ATMs in Germany falls below 50,000
Banks close branches, machines disappear – consumers feel the consequences of digital change when paying and lifting money. The way to the next machine will be longer for many people.
With the trend towards digital payment, there are fewer and fewer ATMs in Germany. In 2024, the number fell by three percent to around 49,750, as the Bundesbank in Frankfurt reports. In the previous year there were around 51,300 machines. For consumers, the way to lifting money often becomes longer. A decline of three percent was also recorded for transfer terminals – from around 23,200 to around 22,500.
According to the Bundesbank, map payments in Germany are increasing steadily. Last year there were around 13 billion transactions with cards, 11 percent more than in the previous year. Ducks and transfers also increased.
Many consumers now prefer to pay cashlessly: In a survey for Postbank from March, almost two thirds of the respondents state that they have to pay purchases primarily with a checking card, credit card or mobile via smartphone or smartwatch.
Bundesbank: cash supply secured, but more complex
According to the Bundesbank, the cash supply of people has been secured, but has become more complex. Nationwide, citizens live on average 1.4 kilometers from the next ATM or bank switch, the Bundesbank wrote in March. Around 80.7 million people or 95.7 percent of the total population live in municipalities with at least one ATM or bank switch.
Because many people do financial transactions using a smartphone or on the domestic computer, banks have been closing branches for years. This affects the number of ATMs. In 2024, the branch death accelerated: According to the Bundesbank, the number of branches fell by a good 8 percent to 17,870 locations.
dpa
Source: Stern
