Global Credit Card Usage: A Country-by-Country Comparison

?? Credit cards have indisputably grown in popularity amongst consumers since their inception in 1950. The built-in convenience and added perks, such as rewards or purchase protection, make them a widely used form of payment, both online and offline. Some economic systems have gone as far as making them essential to build credit: For example, in the United States responsible credit card users can build their credit history to redeem preferable business terms and rates later on in life.

Nevertheless, credit card usage notably coincides with a country's financial culture. The Statista Consumer Insights Global Survey reveals that credit cards are most popular in Israel: 83% of onliners have paid with a credit card in stores, restaurants and other points of sale in the past 12 months. They are more popular than cash (68%), mobile payments (23%), prepaid cards (22%), or debit cards (13%).

When it comes to credit card usage, Israel far exceeds the Global Survey average of 42%. Worldwide, the most popular form of payment is still cash, with 68% of consumers having paid with bank notes or coins in the past 12 months. Debit cards have been used for paying in stores by 53% of consumers, while mobile payment has a usage share of 32%. That’s an impressive growth by 14 percent points since 2018.

The lowest share of credit card users can in turn be found in Indonesia, Kenya, and the Netherlands. 18% of consumers have used a credit card in the past 12 months in those three countries. While Dutch consumers heavily rely on debit cards (83%), cash is king in Kenya (84%) and Indonesia (81%). Notably, 78% of Kenya's consumers have opted for mobile payments in the past 12 months.

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