Here are the fake banknotes that circulate the most in Belgium

12,000 counterfeit banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in Belgium in 2022.

belgian couple

Published on 01/30/2023 at 14:54Reading time: 2 mins

Qome 12,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation last year, 24% less than the previous year. This is reported by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). Globally, the number of counterfeits increased for the first time in several years.

The 20 and 50 euro notes are the most frequently counterfeited in Belgium, according to the BNB. They represent 70% of counterfeit notes seized.

The National Bank points out that the number of counterfeit banknotes in circulation is very limited compared to the number of genuine banknotes. Suspicious banknotes are also easy and quick to detect, the institution says.

Globally, 376,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2022, an increase of 8.4% compared to the previous year. According to the European Central Bank, this increase is linked to the recovery of economic activity after the coronavirus crisis.

The number of counterfeit banknotes per million euros in circulation in the euro zone is estimated at 13. This number increased for the first time in seven years. Last year, it was still 12, and 48 in 2015. The risk of being confronted with a counterfeit note is therefore low, according to the National Bank.