- 467,000 counterfeit euro banknotes withdrawn from circulation in 2023, one of the lowest levels ever in proportion to total banknotes in circulation
- More than 70% of withdrawn counterfeits were €20 and €50 denominations
- Euro banknotes remain safe and trusted means of payment
- Authenticity of euro banknotes can be verified using “feel, look and tilt” method
Some 467,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2023. There is little likelihood of receiving a counterfeit, as the number of counterfeits remains low in proportion to the number of genuine euro banknotes in circulation. In 2023, just 16 counterfeits were detected per million genuine banknotes in circulation, which is one of the smallest proportions since the introduction of euro banknotes (see the chart below).
Most counterfeits are easy to detect as they have no, or only very poor, imitations of security features. The public need not be concerned about counterfeiting but should remain vigilant. Notes can be checked using the simple “feel, look and tilt” method described on the dedicated security features web page and on the websites of the euro area national central banks. The Eurosystem also helps professional cash handlers by ensuring that successfully tested machines for handling and processing banknotes can reliably identify counterfeits and withdraw them from circulation.
