MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Nearly one in two surveyed Russians (48%) said they could not do without cash, with the figure increasing by 5 percentage points year-on-year, according to the findings of a 2025 sociological survey published on the Bank of Russia's website.
"Forty-eight percent of Russians do not see themselves being able to do without cash. In 2024, the figure stood at 43%," the study said.
At the same time, last year Russians used cash more frequently both for everyday payments (27% of respondents) and for savings purposes (36%). These indicators increased by 3 and 4 percentage points, respectively, over the year. People stocked up on banknotes in case they were unable to pay by card due to a lack of internet access. Meanwhile, cashless payments continued to expand. Overall, citizens value them for their speed, simplicity, bonus programs and cashback opportunities, the regulator noted.
Those favoring digital payment methods opted for the services they found most convenient: debit cards remained the most popular payment instrument (79% of respondents), followed by payments via QR codes through the Faster Payments System (38%), while mobile and online banking ranked third (36%), the study concluded.