Cash usage in the UK: Key statistics

1 in 8 people in the UK use cash every day, so are we really headed for a cashless society?

Sophie Barber's headshot
Kate Steere's headshot

By

Sophie Barber

&

Kate Steere

Updated

Fact checked

Although digital bank accounts now offer budgeting tools and cashback, cash payments are still very much a staple in the UK. But will we eventually become a cashless society? We look at the latest cash usage statistics and trends for 2025.

Cash usage statistics: Highlights

  • 1 in 8 people in the UK (13%) use cash every day, around 7 million people.
  • 3 in 5 Brits (61%) – an estimated 32.7 million people – use cash at least once a week.
  • However, almost 1 in 10 Brits (9%) never use cash.
  • There were 4.4 billion cash payments in the UK in 2024, a 27% decrease from 2023.
  • Cash was used to make 9% of all payments in the UK in 2024 and is forecast to make up just 4% of payments in 2034.
  • More than a quarter of Brits (26%) use cash to help budget or control their spending.

How many people use cash in the UK?

91% of UK adults still use cash at least some of the time in 2025, even if it’s only occasionally. This is an estimated 48.6 million people. This leaves less than 1 in 10 Brits (9%) who never use cash – around 5 million people.

What percentage of transactions are cash in the UK?

In 2024, cash was used to make 9% of all transactions in the UK, down from 12% of transactions in 2023. The percentage of transactions made in cash has decreased significantly over the past decade, going from making up almost half (48%) in 2014 to less than 1 in 10 transactions (9%) in 2024.

Year Cash payments as a proportion of all payments
2024 9%
2023 12%
2022 14%
2021 15%
2020 17%
2019 23%
2018 28%
2017 34%

How often do people use cash in the UK?

The average Brit uses cash roughly once every 3 days. 1 in 8 UK adults (13%) use cash every day, around 7 million people, while 3 in 5 Brits (61%) use cash at least once a week, an estimated 32.7 million people, according to a 2025 Finder survey.

How often do you use cash? Percentage
Every day 13%
4-6 days a week 10%
2-3 days a week 20%
Once a week 18%
Once every 2 to 3 weeks 12%
Once a month 17%
Less often than once a month 1%
Never 9%

Why do people still use cash?

The most common reason for carrying cash is so that it will be accepted in places that only accept or prefer cash. 44% of Brits carry cash for this reason. This is closely followed in second place by people carrying money in case of emergencies, such as losing their debit card or phone (36%).

A quarter of Brits (26%) carry cash because it helps them control spending and budget, while 1 in 5 Brits (20%) like to use cash for tips. Just under 1 in 5 Brits say they use cash because they like the privacy and security it offers.

Reason for carrying cash Percentage of Brits
In case I shop at places that prefer or only accept cash 43.60%
In case of emergencies, such as losing my debit card or phone 36.20%
It helps me budget or control my spending 25.80%
I like to tip in cash 19.80%
I like the privacy and security that cash payments offer 19.25%
I don’t like using digital payment methods 9.65%

When will cash be obsolete in the UK?

Cash usage is declining in the UK and this was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2017 and 2020, the number of cash payments more than halved from over 13 billion to just over 6 billion.

It stayed fairly stable between 2020 and 2023, but decreased by 27% between 2023 and 2024, going from 6 billion payments to 4.4 billion payments.

However, Finder’s 2025 survey shows that cash is still used by a lot of Brits and they have a variety of reasons for carrying it. The decline in cash usage seems to have slowed somewhat in recent years after a rapid decrease, and while it is still declining, it doesn’t look like it will be obsolete anytime soon.

Year Number of cash payments
2024 4.43 billion
2023 5.98 billion
2022 6.44 billion
2021 5.97 billion
2020 6.08 billion
2019 9.3 billion
2018 11 billion
2017 13.1 billion

Methodology

Finder commissioned Censuswide in April 2025 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.

Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact –

Sophie Barber
Communications Manager

Sophie Barber's headshot
Written by

Senior content marketing manager
Add to Preferred Sources

Sophie Barber is a senior content marketing manager for Finder in the UK. She has over 5 years experience in writing and publishing clear, concise and informative articles that help consumers make informed decisions. See full bio

Sophie's expertise
Sophie has written 100 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance trends and statistics
  • Cost of living and money saving tips
Kate Steere's headshot
Co-written by

Editor

Kate Steere is an editor and money expert at Finder, specialising in banking, savings and fintech. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run. See full bio

Kate's expertise
Kate has written 153 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Banking
  • Savings
  • Fintech
  • Credit
  • Payments
More resources on Finder

More guides on Finder

Go to site