Legislating for Cash: Worldwide Action on Financial Freedom

The importance of cash to personal autonomy, social inclusion and economic stability remains high, despite use declining in many countries. Recognising this value, nations worldwide are introducing legislation to ensure physical money remains accessible to and usable by anyone, anytime.

The map below is a snapshot of legislative status and intensity of cash use, captured in October 2024. Red pins show places where new laws—either governing access to or acceptance of cash—is (or was) under consideration by national authorities. One large pin in the United States represents a bipartisan bill that would require brick and mortar businesses nationwide to accept cash. Other pins show the legislative situation in individual states and major cities.

Purple pins show places where laws exist around the right to access cash. One example is the United Kingdom, where rules came into effect on 18 September 2024 holding banks and building societies accountable for ensuring fair access to cash.

Blue pins show places where the right to pay using cash is enshrined in law. Typically, this only covers physical businesses, and sometimes includes other restrictions, such as a transaction being below a given amount. Non-compliant businesses are often subjected to fines levied by central banks or finance authorities, with the People's Bank of China being one example, handing out fines to KFC and several state-owned entities, among others, in August 2024.

Green-coloured countries are especially high users of cash, with the darkest shades representing the highest use. By share of cash among point of sale (in person) transactions, Kenya is highest at 84 percent, followed by Morocco at 77 percent. Other countries where cash is widely used and preferred include Nigeria, Thailand, Japan, Greece, Malta and Austria.

These figures were current as of October 2024, but the legislative landscape is evolving rapidly and more countries considering laws are likely to introduce them throughout 2025 and beyond. If you’re aware of any information not shown on the map, please do share it with us on any of our social media channels (linked at the very top of this page). If your region is lacking laws, and you feel passionate about their adoption, you can also email your local representative or look for local pro-cash grassroots groups. Linking to this page could help demonstrate the progress already made worldwide.