Low Levels of Euro Counterfeiting for 2022

2022 saw the second lowest level of counterfeits as a proportion of total banknotes in circulation in the history of the euro (2021 being the lowest year).

Counterfeit data is presented as the number detected per million genuine banknotes in circulation. In 2021 the number was 12, in 2022 it rose to 13 – 376,000 in total.

Having peaked at 64 in 2009, the ratio has dropped steadily ever since, particularly from 2015 onwards with the introduction of the second series.

The percentage increase, 8.4%, is attributed to the recovery of economic activity and cash usage post pandemic. 96.6% of counterfeits were found in the euro area, 2.7% in non-euro European Union member states, and 0.7% elsewhere. The €20 and €50 were most counterfeited at 23.6% and 40% of the total respectively.