CashMoney in physical form such as banknotes and coins. More remains a critical part of everyday life across Europe. Even as digital payments expand, consumers and businesses continue to rely on notes and coins for resilience, inclusion, and freedom of choice. Ensuring that people can easily withdraw and deposit cash therefore remains an important public policy issue.
A new comparative study of France and Switzerland offers a detailed picture of how access to cash differs between two neighbouring countries with very different demographic and administrative structures. Using harmonised high-resolution population data and precise geolocation information, the study measures travel distances and driving times to the nearest cash access point in 2024, including ATMs, bank branches, and post offices.
The results show that both countries maintain strong overall access to cash, but they achieve this in different ways.
At first glance, cash access in both countries appears highly satisfactory. Residents in France travel on average 1.6 kilometres to reach the nearest cash access point, compared with 1.4 kilometres in Switzerland. In both countries, at least half of the population can access cash services within one kilometre, with median driving times below three minutes.
This demonstrates that cash infrastructure remains extensive despite ongoing bank branch closures and the gradual decline in ATM numbers observed in both countries.
Importantly, almost the entire population in both countries can reach a cash access point within 10 kilometres. This near-universal coverage highlights the resilience of the combined infrastructure formed by ATMs, bank branches, and post offices.
Behind these national averages, however, lie important structural differences.
France is characterised by a very large territory and a highly fragmented municipal landscape with nearly 35,000 communes. Population density varies considerably, with major urban concentrations coexisting alongside thousands of sparsely populated rural municipalities.
Switzerland presents a very different profile. Although smaller in size, it benefits from a more balanced distribution of population and economic activity across roughly 2,000 municipalities. This contributes to a more evenly distributed cash access network.
These territorial differences become especially visible in rural areas.
In municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, the average distance to a cash access point rises to 3.8 kilometres in France, compared with 3.5 kilometres in Switzerland. Rural disparities are also more pronounced in France: nearly 30% of residents in the smallest municipalities must travel more than five kilometres for cash access, compared with around 20% in Switzerland.
The contrast is even clearer when focusing specifically on ATM accessibility. In rural France, 60% of residents live more than three kilometres from an ATM, while the equivalent figure in Switzerland is 35%.
The findings suggest that Switzerland’s more decentralised settlementThe discharge of an obligation in accordance with the terms of the underlying contract. In e-transfers the settlement may take days, whereas cash settlements are instantaneous and irreversible. More pattern naturally supports a denser and more evenly distributed access infrastructure.
One of the study’s most important findings concerns the role of post offices.
While discussions about access to cash often focus on banks and ATMs, post offices continue to play a vital complementary role, particularly in rural communities. Their importance becomes especially clear in areas where commercial banking infrastructure has declined.
Although post offices are fewer in number than ATMs or bank branches, their strategic geographical distribution significantly strengthens overall coverage.
In France, post offices help compensate for banking deserts and ensure continued access in underserved areas. In Switzerland, they reinforce an already balanced network and contribute to particularly favourable rural accessibility.
When post offices are included in the analysis, rural access improves substantially. Average travel distances in rural areas fall to 2.5 kilometres in France and just 1.3 kilometres in Switzerland. Average driving times remain very manageable at 4.1 minutes and 2.9 minutes respectively.
These results underline the importance of maintaining diversified cash access ecosystems rather than relying solely on one type of infrastructure.
The study also confirms that bank branches remain an important component of the cash ecosystem despite ongoing consolidation across the banking sector.
Accessibility to bank branches broadly mirrors ATM accessibility. Average distances are 2.5 kilometres in France and 1.9 kilometres in Switzerland. In urban areas, almost all residents can reach a branch within a five-minute drive.
Rural disparities nevertheless persist. In small municipalities, 64% of French residents and 45% of Swiss residents live more than three kilometres from a bank branch.
This reinforces concerns that branch closures may disproportionately affect rural populations if alternative cash access solutions are not maintained.
Beyond the country comparison itself, the study demonstrates the value of harmonised and data-driven measurement approaches.
Using precise geolocated infrastructure and population data allows researchers to move beyond national averages and identify local accessibility gaps with much greater accuracy. This is essential for policymakers, central banks, and industry stakeholders seeking to preserve effective access to cash.
The researchers made parts of the findings publicly available through interactive platforms including the French Money Map, the Swiss Money Map, and the broader World Money Map initiative.
These tools provide highly granular insights into cash accessibility and create a foundation for international comparisons based on a common methodology.
The findings from France and Switzerland carry lessons far beyond the two countries themselves.
Across Europe, policymakers are increasingly recognising that access to cash is not only a commercial issue but also a matter of social inclusion, territorial cohesion, and economic resilience. Rural communities, elderly populations, and vulnerable consumers remain particularly dependent on reliable cash infrastructure.
The study shows that maintaining broad access requires complementarity between different types of providers. ATMs alone are not enough. Bank branches, post offices, and shared infrastructure models all contribute to sustaining universal coverage.
Most importantly, the research highlights that measuring access to cash is essential for safeguarding its future. Without reliable indicators, accessibility gaps may remain invisible until they become difficult to reverseThe back of the banknote or coin. See Obverse. More.
As more countries confront similar challenges, harmonised international measurement initiatives could become a key tool for preserving the accessibility and acceptance of cash in the years ahead. The researchers therefore encourage others to join their initiative, collect data and share it, so that cash access can be measured in more countries.