The number of debit card payments in the European Union in 2020 varied strongly per country. The United Kingdom (UK) accounted for more than 20.7 billion of these transactions. In the same year, 11 countries in the European Union saw more than one billion debit card payments. Between 2013 and 2019, the number of debit card payments in the European Union increased almost every year.
Rise of payment cards
Between 2010 and 2017, the number of payment cards active in Europe increased by almost 85 million. With the number of credit and debit cards rising, the need for more point-of-sale (POS) terminals has seen an increase of more than three million POS stations across Europe.
Credit cards
The share of credit card owners amongst the adult population in Europe varies by country, with Norway and Luxembourg seeing more than two thirds of adults owning a credit card in 2017. In Europe, the leading credit card brands were Visa and Mastercard which, between them had a market share of more than 95 percent.
Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020
(in millions)
Characteristic
France
Germany
Poland
Netherlands
Spain
Sweden
Italy
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
Czechia
Ireland
Greece
Hungary
Romania
Austria
Slovakia
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Croatia
Bulgaria
Slovenia
Luxembourg
Cyprus
Malta
2000
-
1,133.89
31.69
801.49
-
256
317.92
379.92
412
256
14.5
34
0.6
19.27
0.78
80.1
-
4.16
5.23
-
-
-
13.93
-
2.45
2.42
-
2001
-
1,334.15
59.26
954.4
-
326
433.39
432.78
453
293
26.6
43
1.47
26.49
1.58
105.6
10.97
7.74
8.12
-
-
0.86
26.95
13.53
3.24
2.01
-
2002
-
1,535.77
76.43
1,068.57
612.43
509
552.04
506.79
492
376
41
55
2.02
37.67
10.1
140.9
17.38
16.28
12.82
-
-
1.6
32.08
16.91
4.65
2.13
-
2003
-
1,670.31
103.16
1,157.07
630.85
670.29
610.73
544.07
552
448
55.9
60
2.25
50.37
18.93
157.3
22.59
24.64
20.22
-
-
2.69
38.05
18.7
5.6
2.59
-
2004
-
1,869.03
147.24
1,247.09
692.84
777
671.97
597.31
611.31
506
79.94
68
2.91
62.46
26.3
181.31
26.74
35.58
28.19
53.18
-
5.32
44.78
20.62
6.63
2.92
-
2005
-
1,982.26
187.12
1,345.16
743.37
772
732.8
659.46
620.57
598
73.56
80
4.94
75.87
37.52
207.68
33.95
49.56
37.62
73.99
-
12.59
49.93
22.68
8.04
3.48
-
2006
-
2,026.81
251.08
1,465.72
806.55
868
770.65
710.36
722.31
727
85.63
99.4
5.43
94.73
16.98
229.96
38.8
54.95
51.94
96.37
-
20.46
56.2
25.01
9.66
4.12
-
2007
-
1,710.69
335.51
1,606.53
862.97
1,004
825.35
764.16
794.93
828
119
136.7
6.36
114.45
33.04
252.34
65.49
68.9
65.33
117.62
-
7.68
60.41
27.67
11.41
5.21
-
2008
-
1,878.32
425.08
1,779.87
921.47
1,196.4
873.31
828.17
867.7
914
135.89
181.2
7.94
142.65
57.73
274.53
77.7
81.85
69.41
132.51
-
9.26
65.67
31
14.11
6.47
-
2009
-
2,007.03
528.83
1,978.12
952.32
1,306.3
902.16
885.2
918.91
835
159.66
195.1
9.24
157.6
70.07
292.8
102.16
84.6
74.16
138.33
-
8.43
69.61
34.04
14.95
7.17
-
2010
-
2,196.27
656.65
2,206.41
997.12
1,421.2
914.76
945.9
1,008.8
953
191.11
207.79
10.85
184.16
87.15
316.89
116.98
88.52
78.93
149.91
-
12.96
74.93
36.16
17.98
8.07
-
2011
-
2,399.67
826.67
2,333.92
1,062.3
1,477.5
981.12
1,020.57
1,097.9
994.96
238.47
237.6
12.83
204.37
107.44
328.62
139.58
95.39
92.24
179.14
-
18.61
79.67
37.83
19.95
8.88
-
2012
-
2,579.08
1,001.54
2,530.66
1,096.29
1,648
1,091.52
1,087.6
1,203.31
1,053.23
279.12
309.2
17.67
236.39
130.33
358.79
156.59
118.05
105.9
193.49
-
23.86
85.37
44.17
22.19
10.3
-
2013
-
2,885.33
1,203.58
2,765.04
1,174.66
1,819
1,225.77
1,168.56
1,318.19
1,110.98
332.53
340.9
23.47
268.53
155.71
389.37
199.11
140.32
126.82
206.64
115.32
34.9
90.12
47.66
23.18
13.24
-
2014
4,924.17
2,595.06
1,598.57
3,037.49
1,387.4
1,989.12
1,390.06
1,305.81
1,466.52
1,189.92
415.97
357.78
34.04
302.3
189.44
431.07
248
154.47
156.96
222.92
125.13
46.63
96.68
51.91
23.55
13.03
-
2015
6,124.53
2,722.57
2,251.64
3,392.03
1,712.14
2,343
1,617.15
1,275.53
1,653.42
1,269.45
495.95
515.7
82.49
362.38
234.13
450.52
275.53
188.67
170.97
239.79
140.54
57.93
103.69
56.47
26.62
15
-
2016
7,634.53
2,963.43
2,852.75
3,743.12
2,100.36
2,604
1,836.49
1,481.52
1,814.5
1,380.62
624.38
564.43
221.51
453.81
300.23
503.79
328.79
214.14
199.42
259.87
163.64
68.02
116.18
61.92
31.69
17.75
-
2017
8,335.11
3,275.38
3,480.43
4,105.33
2,519.56
2,778
1,941
1,564.12
1,989.72
1,492.43
767.49
687.84
407.25
579.88
402.73
575.67
374.67
250.52
239.31
283.55
188.39
100.57
132.71
70.85
39.21
-
-
2018
9,335
3,913.77
4,282.58
4,528.61
3,221.22
2,953.95
2,208
1,832.36
2,045.15
1,670.23
957.17
852.98
519.07
724.39
564.24
660.9
425.57
300.95
278.08
309.54
219.36
130.62
152.92
83.81
52.1
-
-
2019
10,121
4,715.9
5,242.22
4,879.95
3,863.66
3,073.98
2,471
2,041.17
2,174.36
1,791.5
1,151.15
999.6
670.07
872.77
760.42
762.14
503.7
364.3
318.7
338.32
262.39
164.18
178.46
111.93
65.54
34.2
-
2020
9,931.34
5,911.43
5,648.57
4,548.85
4,177.74
2,835.84
2,498.72
2,208.2
2,149.43
1,746.17
1,340.86
1,074.11
962.51
956.79
935.63
885.59
518.78
495.86
337.18
331.15
294.47
185.64
176.05
126.8
79
-
-
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Supplementary notes
The figures have been taken from several publications.
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ECB. (July 23, 2021). Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/
ECB. "Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in millions)." Chart. July 23, 2021. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/
ECB. (2021). Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/
ECB. "Total Number of Debit Card Payments in 26 Countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Jul 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/
ECB, Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Total number of debit card payments in 26 countries in Europe from 2000 to 2020 (in millions) [Graph], ECB, July 23, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/443704/purchases-with-debit-cards-europe/
