Average adult withdrew around £1,500 from ATMs last year, says Link

The average UK adult withdrew around £1,500 from cash machines last year, according to data from ATM and cash access network Link.

It calculated that the average person aged over 16 withdrew a total of £1,484 in 2023, down from £1,564 in 2022.

People typically made 15 trips to ATMs last year.

Northern Ireland remains the most “cash heavy” part of the UK, Link said.

Banking customers in Northern Ireland withdrew £2,340 typically from ATMs last year – an increase from the £2,266 withdrawn per adult there in 2022.

The North East of England and London were the second and third most “cash heavy” locations in 2023, in terms of average withdrawals over the year, Link said.

At the other end of the spectrum, the average customer in the South West of England withdrew £1,064 during 2023.

People withdrew £81bn from ATMs in 2023. In 2022, UK banking customers withdrew £83 billion from cash machines.

As cash use continues to decline, the number of ATMs has fallen, Link said.

By the end of 2023, Link counted 38,480 free-to-use machines, down from 40,869 at the end of 2022. There were also 9,921 charging ATMs in December 2023, down from 10,384 a year earlier.

In an average week in 2023, £1.5bn was withdrawn from UK cash machines, Link said.

This is significantly down on pre-pandemic numbers. Some £2.2bn was withdrawn per week in 2019 and Link said it does not expect to see a return to these levels.

Link has, however, seen a trend of people typically withdrawing more cash when they do visit an ATM.

In 2023, legislation was passed as part of the Financial Services and Markets Act, to protect access to cash.

Graham Mott, director of strategy at Link said: “The good news is that there is now a law to protect access to cash. Alongside ATMs, Link will continue recommend new banking hubs and deposit services that will protect cash services across the UK.”

Natalie Ceeney, chair at Cash Access UK, said: “With all the talk of a ‘cashless society’ I think many people will be surprised by how busy cash machines continue to be.

“For millions of people, including those on low and tight budgets, digital payments aren’t always an option. Cash is essential for many.

“Crucially, there is a now a legal obligation on the banks to ensure that people and small businesses will still be able to withdraw and bank cash across the UK.

“This applies to ATMs and also face-to-face services, which is why as bank branches close, we are rolling out banking hubs to ensure that people who need cash can still access it.”

Here are the average values of ATM withdrawals per adult across 2023, according to Link:

Northern Ireland: £2,340

London: £1,684

Scotland: £1,674

North West: £1,670

Yorkshire and the Humber: £1,658

North East: £1,718

West Midlands: £1,556

East Midlands: £1,379

Wales: £1,441

East of England: £1,242

South East: £1,145