German household currency transactions
German household currency transactions stood at 6.2 EUR billion in Q1 2026, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the Household financial accounts table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1999 to Q1 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Household financial accounts table
| Indicator | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total financial assets | 93.6 | 79 | 76.3 | 66.6 | 88.6 | 81.1 | 71.9 | 70.4 | 83.5 | 62.9 | |
| Currency and deposits | 11.1 | 66.6 | 27.6 | 41.1 | 7.3 | 49.2 | 20.6 | 47.8 | 33.7 | 62.3 | |
| Currency | 6.2 | 13.9 | 11.5 | 13 | 4.2 | 11.8 | 8.7 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 5.5 |
Understanding german household currency transactions
Physical euro banknotes and coins entering or exiting household domestic cash balances are captured by this specific transaction line. It records cash withdrawals from automated teller machines and bank counters minus cash deposits returned to the banking sector, alongside coin issuance. All electronic balances, checkable deposits, and foreign banknotes are excluded. By tracking solely tangible currency in circulation held by residents, this row separates physical payment media from electronic banking liquidity and interest-bearing deposits.
Data are presented on an unadjusted quarterly basis and are subject to significant seasonal variation. Currency transactions typically expand ahead of vacation seasons and year-end celebrations before contracting as cash is redeposited into checking accounts. An honest evaluation requires year-on-year comparisons of identical quarters to filter out these recurring behavioral patterns. Compilers estimate household currency holdings using statistical allocation models that divide total circulation between domestic households, corporations, and foreign entities. Consequently, figures are subject to statistical revisions when circulation models and counterparty banking data are updated.
Frequently asked questions
- How are household currency transactions calculated if individuals do not report cash holdings?
- Compilers use indirect estimations based on net banknote issuance, commercial bank vault cash returns, and sectoral allocation models.
- Does this series include foreign currency banknotes held by residents?
- No, it measures domestic legal tender in euro and excludes foreign physical currency.
- Why do currency transactions often contract following holiday periods?
- Retailers and households deposit physical cash back into commercial bank checking accounts after major seasonal shopping events.