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Coronavirus panic fuels a surge in cash demand

Author

Listed:
  • Goodhart, Charles
  • Ashworth, Jonathan

Abstract

Over the past decade the media have regularly reported on the imminent death of cash amid rapid innovation in payment technologies. However, cash in circulation has actually been growing strongly in many counties. Perhaps unsurprisingly given Coronavirus-related health concerns, there have been renewed calls to abandon cash and some observers have argued the virus will accelerate its demise. Data thus far suggest, however, that currency in circulation has actually surged in a number of countries. While the economic shutdowns and increased use of online retailing are currently diminishing cash’s traditional function as a medium of exchange, it seems that this is being more than offset by panic driven hoarding of banknotes.

Suggested Citation

  • Goodhart, Charles & Ashworth, Jonathan, 2020. "Coronavirus panic fuels a surge in cash demand," CEPR Discussion Papers 14910, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:14910
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    Citations

    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Economics of Welfare > Health Economics > Economics of Pandemics > Specific pandemics > Covid-19 > Economic policy > Money and monetary policy

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cronin, David & McInerney, Niall, 2022. "ATM Cash Withdrawals Before, During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic," Economic Letters 6/EL/22, Central Bank of Ireland.
    2. Hans-Eggert Reimers & Friedrich Schneider & Franz Seitz, 2020. "Payment Innovations, the Shadow Economy and Cash Demand of Households in Euro Area Countries," CESifo Working Paper Series 8574, CESifo.
    3. Didier, Tatiana & Huneeus, Federico & Larrain, Mauricio & Schmukler, Sergio L., 2021. "Financing firms in hibernation during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    4. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2022. "On the stabilizing role of cash for societies," IMFS Working Paper Series 167, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    5. Emilio Espino & Julian Kozlowski & Fernando M. Martin & Juan M. Sanchez, 2022. "Policy Rules and Large Crises in Emerging Markets," Working Papers 2022-018, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 14 Oct 2023.
    6. Jacek Pietrucha & Grzegorz Maciejewski, 2020. "Precautionary Demand for Cash and Perceived Risk of Electronic Payments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-25, September.
    7. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2021. "Cash and crises: No surprises by the virus," IMFS Working Paper Series 150, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    8. Batiz-Lazo, Bernardo & Bautista-González, Manuel A & González-Correa, Ignacio, 2021. "La transformación en el uso de efectivo y pagos digitales durante la pandemia de Covid-19 [Thye transformation in the use of cash and digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemioc]," MPRA Paper 109943, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Grebenkina Alina & Drobyshevsky Sergey & Trunin Pavel, 2021. "Reducing Household Spending Is the Main Source of Additional Cash in 2020 [Сокращение Расходов Населения – Основной Источник Дополнительного Объема Наличных В 2020 Г]," Russian Economic Development, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, issue 3, pages 4-11, March.
    10. Grebenkina Alina & Drobyshevsky Sergey & Trunin Pavel, 2021. "Сокращение Расходов Населения – Основной Источник Дополнительного Объема Наличных В 2020 Г," Russian Economic Development (in Russian), Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, issue 3, pages 4-11, March.
    11. Cronin, David, 2021. "Whither Cash in Payments?," Quarterly Bulletin Articles, Central Bank of Ireland, pages 64-87, January.
    12. Jacek Pietrucha, 2021. "Drivers of the Cash Paradox," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Serhan Cevik, 2020. "Dirty money: Does the risk of infectious disease lower demand for cash?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 460-471, December.
    14. Gerhard Fenz & Helmut Stix, 2021. "Monitoring the economy in real time with the weekly OeNB GDP indicator: background, experience and outlook," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q4/20-Q1/, pages 17-40.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Currency usage; Coronavirus; Payment technologies; Hoarding in panics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money
    • E49 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Other
    • E63 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Comparative or Joint Analysis of Fiscal and Monetary Policy; Stabilization; Treasury Policy
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative

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