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How Much Money Is in Circulation?

The amount of physical money in circulation around the world is constantly changing. As new notes are printed, and old money is taken out of circulation, the overall “wealth” of the planet evolves.

Keith Hodges
Author 
Keith Hodges
Artiom Pucinskij
Editor 
Artiom Pucinskij
Artiom Pucinskij
Fact Checker 
Artiom Pucinskij
3 minutes
March 28th, 2025
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In this article, we collected the latest available data, so read on to learn more about the total amount of money in circulation around the world today!

How Much Money Is in Circulation in 2023?

Estimates predict there’s around $40 trillion in physical money circulating worldwide today. This accounts only for the amount of printed money in circulation, such as banknotes and coins, and is defined as “narrow money”. If you add “broad money,” like cash in bank accounts, demand deposits, mutual funds, and securities, this amount could increase to around $90.4 trillion.

(SeekingAlpha)

Exploring the Global Money Supply

It’s difficult to calculate the total amount of money circulating in the world because wealth comes in so many different forms. To get an accurate figure, you’d need to consider everything from rare paper money in circulation to cryptocurrencies, digital transactions, and account savings. But here are some interesting bits of data regarding money from official state sources.

What Are Monetary Aggregates?

Before we continue, we should define monetary aggregates. Monetary aggregates are standardized categories used for measuring the money supply in the United States.

These include:

  • M0: This group, known as the monetary base, includes all physical currency in circulation (paper money and coins) and all of the central bank’s bank reserves

  • M1: The entire monetary base plus demand deposits and traveler’s checks

  • M2: All of the above plus savings deposits and money market shares

There is over $5.8 trillion of US money in circulation in 2022

The most recent reports by the Federal Reserve suggest that the M0 supply stream equaled 5,885.2 billion. The amount of money circulating in the US has decreased from a recent peak of 6,413.1 billion in December 2021. This is likely due to the fact that we increasingly rely more on digital assets for transactions.

(Federal Reserve)

There are over 29 billion euros circulating in 2023

As one of the most commonly used currencies, there are far more euros than USD in circulation. The European Central Bank reports that over 29 billion euros are distributed around the world today.

(ECB)

The $100 bill is the most common physical currency in circulation

Highlighting a significant change in how we save and store money, in 2020, the number of $100 bills overtook the $1 bill in circulating volume. The $100 bill now makes up for the biggest number of dollars in circulation when looking specifically at printed money.

(WEforum)

$1 bills last around 6.6 years on average

One of the reasons why the total money supply in the world changes so frequently is that notes are often discontinued to maintain a certain quality of banknote supply. According to the Federal Reserve, $1 bills last around 6.6 years, while $100 bills last up to a whopping 22.9 years.

(Federal Reserve)

As of 2021, only 1 in 40,000 UK banknotes was counterfeit

We also have statistics on counterfeit money with experts revealing the percentage of forged notes to be very low. The Bank of England said that in 2021 counterfeit notes made up only 0.0022% of the total money in circulation in the UK.

(Bank of England)

The Amount of Money in Circulation Is Always Changing

The amount of money circulating in the world can be difficult to determine precisely because there are so many different forms of wealth, as well as the constant threat of fraud to consider. Looking at the statistics, however, we can see the use of physical money is gradually reducing worldwide, as the world moves more toward digital payments.

Sources:

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Contributors

Keith Hodges
Keith is an experienced Content Specialist with a rich background in both marketing and journalism within the financial sector. At MoneyTransfers.com, Keith plays a pivotal role in driving the business forward and broadening its reach in various international money transfer markets. His expertise is a key factor in the company's expansion and success.
Artiom Pucinskij
Artiom Pucinskij is a seasoned financial content strategist who holds an impressive background in marketing from the University of Portsmouth. With years of dedicated experience in the personal finance and remittance sectors, Artiom has become an integral part of MoneyTransfers.com's growth.
Artiom Pucinskij
Fact Checker
Artiom Pucinskij
Artiom Pucinskij is a seasoned financial content strategist who holds an impressive background in marketing from the University of Portsmouth. With years of dedicated experience in the personal finance and remittance sectors, Artiom has become an integral part of MoneyTransfers.com's growth.