Canada was one of three countries worldwide in 2021, where credit card ownership among consumers 15 years and up was over ** percent. This according to a major survey held once every three years in over 140 different countries. The results highlight the major differences in how countries prefer to pay: In Europe, for instance, the Nordics, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom are regarded as top credit card countries, whereas the Netherlands ranked significantly lower than all these countries. Credit card usage Cardholders use their credit cards for billions of purchase transactions per year. Some do this to avoid carrying cash around, while others carry out transactions. Many also use credit cards because they do not have to pay immediately. While this can help with monthly cash flow issues, it can also lead to credit card debt that can take years to pay off. Regional differences in credit cards Some counties have a culture of credit card usage. For example, the leading credit card companies in the United States have issued hundreds of millions of credit cards, more than the number of U.S. citizens. Other countries do not have the culture of non-cash transactions. Overcoming this requires both an investment in payment infrastructure and putting people in the habit of using cards instead of cash.

From the selected regions, the ranking by number of credit cards in use is led by the United States with 1.1 billion cards and is followed by Japan (295.11 million cards). In contrast, the ranking is trailed by Saudi Arabia with 2.73 million cards, recording a difference of 1.1 billion cards to the United States. Shown is the estimated number of credit cards currently in use.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The credit card penetration in Thailand was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 36.8 percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the credit card penetration is estimated to reach 67.53 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the credit card penetration of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population who use credit cards.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the credit card penetration in countries like Malaysia and Philippines.

The credit card penetration in Canada was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.4 percentage points. After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the credit card penetration is estimated to reach 84.55 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population who use credit cards.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the credit card penetration in countries like United States and Mexico.

The credit card penetration in Brazil was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 16.6 percentage points. After the twelfth consecutive increasing year, the credit card penetration is estimated to reach 62.27 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population who use credit cards.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2021, the share of the adult population in European countries varied between eight percent in Albania to as high as ** percent in Norway. Using a credit card allows the cardholder to pay for goods and services with the agreed promise to the card issuer that they will repay the amount borrowed either in installments or as a single payment. In Europe, the credit card is a less popular payment choice as compared to the debit card. Two horse race In Europe, there are two main credit card providers. Between Visa and Mastercard they make up over 90 percent of the purchase volume market share across Europe. In total, there are over *** million payment cards across the continent. Credit card transaction value When it comes to usage, there is one European country that is far more excepting of getting out the credit card. In 2017, the United Kingdom saw well over 190 billion euros in credit card transactions. This was more than *** time the amount spent in France.

Credit cards were found relatively less often in Europe in than debit cards, with only four countries having ************ credit cards per capita. For all remaining countries in this comparison, debit card penetration outweighed the credit cards. Note that the numbers provided here are estimates, based on both figures central banks have to supply and domestic sources. There are large differences in reporting this data within Europe, which sometimes can lead to gaps. Additionally, ownership of a payment card does not immediately indicate it gets typically used, as there are also large differences within Europe when it comes to the use of certain payment methods.

The number of credit cards in Turkey was roughly 50 percent higher than in the United Kingdom, according to a country comparison. All figures provided here are estimates, as they have been gathered from various sources and often cover different years. There is no central tracking for credit cards in the European continent. Reports on the topic can also vary between countries, with a country like Germany reporting on various types of cards as opposed to a country like Moldova. That said, the number of credit cards in circulation was relatively low in Europe. Credit cards were popular in European countries that relied on cross-border e-commerce.

The share of adult people who used a credit card varied significantly across the different countries in Latin America. As of the latest data, approximately ** percent of adults in Uruguay claimed to have used a credit card in the past year, against only * percent of Peruvian adults.

Credit cards were ***** as less likely to be used by younger consumer in 2024 than their older counterparts. This is according to a survey held in 14 different countries across North America, Europe, and Latin America. The share of users among Gen Z respondents in the survey - ages 18 to 27 years old - were significantly lower than the other age groups, with Millennials being slightly below average. Credit cards did, however, rank as the second-most used payment method among Gen Z in travel, behind debit cards.

Physical credit cards were used significantly more for e-commerce than in-store payments in selected countries in Africa and the Middle East in 2024. This popularity is surprising when compared to the relatively low penetration rates for credit cards within countries in the region. Religious concerns initially made it difficult for credit cards to find acceptance in Africa and the Middle East. Banks tried to change this, both by creating Shariah-compliant cards and offering rewards programs or discounts. Islamic finance is especially large in Saudi Arabia, owning nearly ********* of Islamic banking assets.

The use of credit cards varied significantly within Europe, with Poland or Germany barely using them whilst their market share was over ** percent in France. This is somewhat at odds with figures on credit card penetration in the world. The United Kingdom, for example, ranks as one of the top countries worldwide in terms of credit card ownership, and also ranks high in this particular overview. France, however, had a significantly lower credit card penetration, but outranks the UK in terms of market share for credit cards. This may be a consequence of the different card schemes that exist within Europe's payment landscape. France has a domestic scheme - unique to that country alone - that is co-branded with Visa, enabling both credit card and debit card payments.

Physical credit cards were popular for online shopping in Latin America in 2024, with the highest market shares found in Mexico and Brazil. Although the countries comparatively rank lower on credit card penetration than the rest of the world, the use of credit cards for online shopping is well established in the region. This is likely due to providers like MercadoLibre, the Argentinian e-commerce company that is often compared to Amazon but for Latin America. In 2024, MercadoLibre generated a revenue of **** billion U.S. dollars in Brazil alone.

The credit card market in the CEE region has seen growth over time, when together with its accelerating relationship with Western Europe, the demand for a variety of financial services on the market has also increased. The payment cards sector has been among the first to grow, but the dynamic of that growth was different in different countries. For many markets listed, the regulatory and financial support afforded by the European Union membership provided strong potential for sustained credit card market growth. For example, for Czechia, the penetration of credit cards was ** percent in 2019. However, a relatively high penetration (in the context of the region) was also observed in two of the non-EU economies of the region: Russia and Ukraine.

Credit card ownership in Europe

In 2017, the share of the adult population in European countries with a credit card varied between eight percent in Albania to as high as ** percent in Norway. Using a credit card allows the cardholder to pay for goods and services with the agreed promise to the card issuer that they will repay the amount borrowed either in installments or as a single payment. In Europe, the main form of electronic payment is using a debit card.

Card payments in Europe

In Europe, the rise in payment cards has continued to go from strength to strength. As of 2018 (excluding the UK), the number of card payments in Europe was almost 55 billion. 2016 saw the highest annual increase in card payments in Europe.

In 2021, the credit card penetration rate in Algeria stood at ***** percent, the same penetration rate recorded in Egypt. These countries had the highest share of the population owning a credit card in Northern Africa that year. However, Libya registered a rate of ** percent in 2017.

The credit card penetration in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *** percentage points. After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the credit card penetration is estimated to reach ***** percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population who use credit cards.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the credit card penetration in countries like Canada and Mexico.

In 2024, credit card payments amounted to around ** percent of e-commerce and ** percent of point-of-sale (POS) payment value in Japan. In comparison, credit card payments took up approximately **** percent of e-commerce and about ** percent of POS transaction value in China in 2024.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated credit card penetration in 2020 in Europe, differentiated by country. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than *** countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated credit card penetration in 2020 in Latin America and the Caribbean, differentiated by country. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than *** countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated credit card penetration in 2020 in Africa, differentiated by country. The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than *** countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).