UK’s ATMs disappear as digital cash edges closer

FINTECH firm Intergiro has conducted a study to find which UK regions have seen the biggest decline in cash machines since 2018.

Using data from Parliament Commons Library, the survey found that 2,428 London ATMs have closed since July 2018. The south-east has just 6.7 ATMs per 10,000 residents, the lowest ratio overall.

In the north-west, including Liverpool and Greater Manchester, 1,514 cash machines have closed in the past four years — 20 percent of the 2018 total. In Northern Ireland, traditional cash machines aren’t disappearing as rapidly — but there has still been a 13 percent fall, with 269 fewer ATMs now.

With 9.6 ATMs per 10,000 people, Northern Ireland has the highest ATM-to-people ratio.

Region No. of ATMS May 2022 Change since July 2018 percent change ATMs per 10,000 residents
UK 52,258 -13,679 -21% 7.8
London 7,372 -2,428 -25% 8.2
South East 6,201 -1,873 -23% 6.7
North East 6,060 -1,514 -20% 8.2
West Midlands 4,817 -1,195 -20% 8.1
East 4,257 -1,148 -21% 6.8
South West 3,839 -1,103 -22% 6.8
Scotland 5,106 -1,048 -17% 9.3
East Midlands 3,549 -980 -22% 7.3
Yorks and Humber 4,332 -934 -18% 7.8
Wales 2,550 -639 -20% 8.0
North East 2,363 -548 -19% 8.8
N. Ireland 1,812 -269 -13% 9.6

 

The City of London and Westminster lost the most ATMs — 307 — with 855 in July 2018 and just 548 remaining in February 2022.

In Scotland, Glasgow Central has seen a decline of 92 cash machines, with 258 still standing. In the north-west, Manchester Central axed the most ATMs (92); Liverpool lost 42.

In the West Midlands, Birmingham and Ladywood seem to be going digital-first; the same applies to Bristol West in the south-west.

Sheffield has lost the highest number of ATMs in Yorkshire and the Humber, while Cardiff Central is the most cashless constituency in Wales.