ATM number in Italy 2000-2023
The number of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Italy decreased steadily in the years between 2009 and 2023. In fact, after counting over 54 thousand ATMs in 2009, Italy saw this number decline to around 46 thousand in 2023. This decline went hand in hand with the decrease in the number of bank branches, which went down to 20 thousand in 2023, from 33.6 thousand in 2011. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the increasing popularity of home and mobile banking has reduced the need for people to visit bank offices.
A similar trend in the EU
Similarly, the number of bank branches has fallen in the whole European Union. Overall the number of bank branches declined from 237.7 thousand in 2008 to 129 thousand in 2023. Also ATMs experienced a similar trend, with the number decreasing steadily since the peak of nearly 456 thousand recorded in 2014.
POS payments on the rise
A decrease in bank branches and ATMs (both in numbers and in use by customers) is also due to the increasing easiness of card payments. In fact, the number of Point of Sales (POS) terminals in Italy increased more than twofold since 2009, reaching amost 3.2 million in 2023. This led to an identic spike in card payments at POS terminals, which exceeded 5.7 billion in 2023.
