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Polymer Banknotes Around the World
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Over the past 30 years, countries around the world have embraced polymer banknotes for their durability and security features, displacing their paper forebears in whole or in part.
In this graphic, creator Edit Gyenge charts when and why each country introduced polymer currency, using data from Wikipedia.
Events, Independence, and Culture
Money has served as a platform to commemorate important national and cultural milestones, for as long as humans have been minting coins, and this new form of currency is no different.
Here, Gyenge has classified banknote issues by milestone, including: independence and national sovereignty, historical milestones or anniversaries, sporting events, scientific events, and economic milestones.
See the table below for a list of countries by the year of issue and milestone:
CountryYear of IntroductionEvent type
Australia 1988Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Singapore 1990Independence and National Sovereignty
Papua New Guinea 1991Sports Events
Indonesia 1993Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Kuwait 1993Independence and National Sovereignty
Brunei 1996Non-Commermorative
Thailand 1997Non-Commermorative
Malaysia 1998Sports Events
Sri Lanka 1998Independence and National Sovereignty
New Zealand 1999Non-Commermorative
Romania 1999Scientific and Astronomical Events
Taiwan 1999Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones
United Kingdom 1999Scientific and Astronomical Events
Brazil 2000Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
China 2000Scientific and Astronomical Events
Bangladesh 2000Non-Commermorative
Mexico 2002Non-Commermorative
Nepal 2002Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Vietnam 2003Non-Commermorative
Guatemala 2007Non-Commermorative
Hong Kong 2007Non-Commermorative
Nigeria 2007Non-Commermorative
Israel 2008Non-Commermorative
Samoa 2008Non-Commermorative
Nicaragua 2008Non-Commermorative
Chile 2009Non-Commermorative
Dominican Republic 2010Non-Commermorative
Honduras 2010Non-Commermorative
Canada 2011Non-Commermorative
Mozambique 2011Non-Commermorative
Lebanon 2013Independence and National Sovereignty
Mauritius 2013Non-Commermorative
Cape Verde 2014Non-Commermorative
The Gambia 2014Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Mauritania 2014Non-Commermorative
Poland 2014Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Trinidad & Tobago 2014Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones
Vanuatu 2014Non-Commermorative
Maldives 2015Independence and National Sovereignty
Botswana 2018Non-Commermorative
North Macedonia 2018Non-Commermorative
Russia 2018Sports Events
São Tomé & Príncipe2018Non-Commermorative
Uruguay 2018Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones
Albania 2019Non-Commermorative
Libya 2019Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Morocco 2019Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
The Solomons 2019Non-Commermorative
Angola 2020Non-Commermorative
Namibia2020Independence and National Sovereignty
Saudi Arabia 2020Non-Commermorative
United Arab Emirates2021Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Barbados 2022Non-Commermorative
Egypt 2022Non-Commermorative
Philippines2022Non-Commermorative
Jamaica 2023Non-Commermorative
Tonga 2023Historical Milestones and Anniversaries
Australia was the first to introduce polymer banknotes when they replaced their $10 bill in 1988 to celebrate that nation’s bicentennial anniversary. Romania and Mexico were the first nations in Europe and North America to introduce these banknotes in 1999 and 2002, respectively.
A Replacement Currency
Polymer banknotes are more than just a form of national celebration. Their security, durability, and, most importantly, their reduced environmental impact make them a sustainable replacement for paper currency.
Some nations have already made a permanent switch to polymer for all their banknotes. These include Australia, which switched in 1996, New Zealand in 1999, and Romania in 2003.
The post When Polymer Banknotes Were Introduced, by Country (1988–2023) appeared first on Visual Capitalist.