Eurozone citizens show little interest in the digital euro and see no significant value in CBDCs. This conclusion comes from ECB analysts, who surveyed 19,000 respondents across 11 EU countries.

On average, households allocated only a small portion of a hypothetical €10,000 budget to the digital version, keeping their distribution of traditional assets—cash, current, and savings accounts—virtually unchanged.

Europeans prefer existing payment methods and do not see tangible benefits in a new type of payment system, given the wide range of available offline and online alternatives.

The survey highlighted the need for targeted communication by the ECB to increase adoption. The most effective approach could be educational video content, providing concise and clear explanations of the digital euro’s key benefits.

The report comes amid criticism of CBDCs in the U.S.
On March 11, Representative Tom Emmer supported legislation aimed at stablecoin regulation and condemned the idea of a digital dollar. A few days earlier, he introduced a bill banning future administrations from issuing a CBDC.

The digital euro is set to launch in October 2025, pending approval from the European Parliament, the EU Council, and the European Commission, according to ECB President Christine Lagarde. She emphasized that the digital euro is “necessary at both wholesale and retail levels.”

In February, OMFIF reported a decline in central bank interest in CBDCs. The proportion of central banks less inclined to issue digital currencies rose from 0% in 2022 to 15%.

In March, four out of eight European Parliament groups expressed doubts about launching a CBDC, citing issues with the Target 2 (T2) payment system.