Sweden

Store cards are registering further decline in terms of both the number and value of transactions in 2023 as they are perceived to be old-fashioned, plus other financial card types and instruments offer greater flexibility. In contrast to credit…

Pre-paid cards remain relatively strong in terms of the number of cards, but hold a very marginal share of all card payment transactions in 2023. Bank account penetration is almost universal in Sweden, with the result that pre-paid cards are…

The two pandemic years boosted the use of financial cards in Sweden. While the use of cash in the country was already exceptionally low by global standards at the start of the review period, its role diminished further during the pandemic due to…

Debit cards remain the most popular type of financial card in Sweden in 2023 in terms of the number of cards in circulation, and current value and volume transactions. The popularity of debit cards is attributable to the high share of digital…

After the pandemic, there has been much pent-up demand for activities which were restricted, including going out and travelling abroad. Also, many Swedes managed to make significant savings during COVID-19 and have been able to spend more…