Cash Use in Australia: What the 2025 Consumer Payments Survey Tells Us
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2025 Consumer Payments Survey shows cash use has stabilised at roughly 15 percent of transactions by number, with about half of Australians using cash each week. Older, lower‑income and regional households remain the most frequent cash users, and one‑third would experience hardship if cash became hard to access. The survey also reveals that 78 percent of respondents find cash‑withdrawal services convenient, though access to deposit services has slipped to 65 percent. These findings underscore cash’s role as a resilient fallback in Australia’s payments ecosystem.
Developments in Foreign Exchange and Over-the-Counter Derivatives Markets
The BIS Triennial Survey shows global foreign‑exchange turnover jumped to US$9.5 trillion per day in April 2025, a 27 % rise driven by heightened volatility, hedging and speculative activity. Spot and outright forwards led the surge, while currency‑option turnover more than doubled and...
Recent Changes in Credit Markets and Their Implications for Monetary Policy
The February 2026 bulletin outlines three post‑pandemic credit‑market shifts that have eased financial conditions: bank‑funding cost spreads fell about 70 basis points, variable mortgage‑rate spreads narrowed roughly 65 basis points, and business‑credit supply expanded with non‑bank lenders gaining market share. These...
On the Road to Better Cross-Border Payments: How Is Australia Travelling?
Australia is gradually aligning with the G20 Roadmap for cross‑border payments, having met the universal access target but still falling short on cost, speed and transparency goals. Bank‑based transfers to advanced economies cost about 4 % for a A$1,000 payment, while...