The official site of Italy's central bank

Counterfeit banknotes

Trends in counterfeiting

In the second half of 2012 a total of 65,106 counterfeit banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in Italy. In 2012 as a whole the number of counterfeit banknotes withdrawn from circulation in Italy was 123,622.

On an annual basis, there was a decrease of about 15% from 145,879 counterfeit notes in 2011, despite an increase of about 11% in the second half of 2012 compared with the first (58,516 counterfeit notes). According to the European Central Bank, a total of 280,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were detected and withdrawn from circulation in the second half of 2012, of which 97.5% in euroarea countries. On an annual basis this constituted a decrease of 12.4% compared with 2011, despite an increase of 11.6% in the second half of 2012 compared with the first.

In Italy the most commonly counterfeited denomination was again the €20 note (51% of the total detected during the period), followed by the €50 note (25%) and the €100 note (21%). Together, these three denominations accounted for approximately 97% of all counterfeits.

The pattern in Italy is in line with the one recorded at global level, where the most commonly counterfeited denominations were the €20 note (42.5%) and the €50 note (40%), followed by the €100 note (13%). Consequently, at both the general and the national level the share of the remaining denominations can be considered negligible. For further information see the press release "Biannual information on euro banknote counterfeiting" available on the European Central Bank's website: www.ecb.int.

The new €5 note, with new security features, will be put into circulation on 2 May 2013. The other denominations of the new euro series will enter into circulation in the coming years.