Attitudes to the Digital Euro in Ireland: Survey Evidence from the Investigation Phase

Trust is a central element of monetary and payment systems, and it plays a particularly important role when assessing the prospects for the digital euro. Ireland’s digitally advanced payment landscape provides useful context for understanding how households view the potential for digital euro adoption. Across the euro area, Irish respondents are the fourth most likely to report being willing to use the digital euro, with trust in the euro and institutions strongly associated with adoption intentions. While 90% of Irish respondents view the traditional form of physical euro positively, digital euro awareness remains below the euro area average (at 49%), highlighting the need for enhanced public communication as the project progresses. Digital euro awareness and adoption intentions within Ireland vary modestly across demographic groups, with men, older respondents, and the financially literate showing consistently higher awareness, willingness to adopt, and emphasis on key features such as security and business acceptance.