Sweden’s Riksbank has continued tracking the country’s shift away from physical currency, with cash now used in only a small fraction of in-person retail transactions. The decline has been driven primarily by Swish, the mobile payment app used by the vast majority of Swedish adults for everything from splitting restaurant bills to paying market vendors.
The trend has prompted concern among some consumer groups and elderly residents who rely more heavily on cash, leading the Riksbank to introduce guidance encouraging banks and essential service providers to maintain some cash-handling capability, even as usage continues to decline.
For travelers, this means carrying minimal cash through Sweden remains entirely practical, though it’s still worth having a small amount on hand for rare cash-only situations.