Nicosia, Cyprus. The Central Bank of Cyprus said 670 counterfeit euro banknotes of various denominations were withdrawn from circulation in 2025, up 17.1% from 2024. It urged the public to scrutinise banknotes when making cash transactions.
Counterfeit banknotes in Cyprus
The Central Bank said the €50 note had the highest rate of counterfeiting in Cyprus, accounting for 45.4% of the total.
Euro area figures
The European Central Bank said about 444,000 counterfeit euro banknotes of various denominations were withdrawn from circulation in 2025, a decrease of 20% compared with 2024.
The ECB said the €50 and €20 notes continued to be the most counterfeited banknotes, jointly accounting for 80.2% of the total.
Where counterfeits were found
The ECB said 96.8% of counterfeits were found in euro area countries, while 2.2% were found in non-euro area European Union member states and 1% in the rest of the world.
Public guidance
The Central Bank said that in comparison with the number of genuine euro banknotes in circulation, the quantity of counterfeits remains very low.
It added that the Central Bank of Cyprus and the European Central Bank websites provide information on simple ways to check the genuineness of euro banknotes.
Do you check euro banknotes for security features when you pay in cash?