In 2025, 444,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn, representing one of the lowest levels ever. Most counterfeits are easy to detect, with €20 and €50 notes most targeted.
In 2025, a total of 444,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation, a decrease of 20% compared to the previous year. The number of counterfeits detected per million genuine notes was 14, one of the lowest levels since the euro’s launch.
The most commonly counterfeited denominations were €20 and €50, accounting for approximately 80% of all counterfeit notes withdrawn. About 96.8% of counterfeits were found within euro area countries, 2.2% in non-euro EU Member States, and 1.0% elsewhere.
The overall risk of receiving a counterfeit is low, and most counterfeits are easy to identify due to poor imitation of security features. The public is advised to use the “feel, look and tilt” method to verify authenticity, as described on the official security features webpage or on national central bank sites.
Cash handlers and the public can rely on tested machines and simple checks to detect counterfeit notes. If a suspicious banknote is received, it should be compared with a genuine note and reported to the police, national central bank, or bank, as appropriate. The Eurosystem supports law enforcement efforts against counterfeiting.
