Sweden, known for being among the most advanced societies in the world in digital payments, now advises its citizens to keep cash reserves at home. The recommendation, made by the country’s central bank, comes in a context of growing geopolitical tensions and concerns about the resilience of digital financial infrastructures.
Recommended minimum reserve
According to the Riksbank, cited by the economic news website, Executive Digest, each family should save enough money to cover approximately one week of essential expenses. The institution suggests that each adult have around 1,000 Swedish kronor in cash, a value that corresponds to just over 90 euros.
According to the same source, this value only serves as a reference and may vary according to the size of the household or the specific needs of each house.
The central bank also recommends that money be kept in multiple denominations in order to facilitate smaller payments and everyday purchases. This guidance is part of a broader strategy to ensure that citizens are able to access essential goods even in situations where electronic payment systems are interrupted.
Among the expected scenarios are temporary failures of payment networks, cyber attacks or geopolitical crises that could affect the functioning of the financial system.
Diversification of payment methods
In addition to keeping money at home, the Riksbank advises diversifying your payment methods. Among the suggestions is the possession of at least two cards from different networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, reducing the risk of failures if a system stops working. Access to mobile payment systems, such as Swish, very popular in Sweden, is also recommended, as they work with different infrastructures than bank cards.
Users of digital wallets, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, must always keep their physical card and PIN code. This is because, even without an internet connection, the card chip allows you to make payments. According to the Riksbank, “access to different payment methods improves people’s ability to make purchases in the event of temporary disruptions, crises and, in the worst-case scenario, war.”
An increasingly digital, but vulnerable country
Sweden is often highlighted for advancing the transition to digital payments. The use of physical money has fallen sharply in the last decade, and currently only one in ten purchases is made in cash, according to the Riksbank’s own report from 2025. The majority of transactions are carried out via cards or mobile applications, which makes payments faster and cheaper, but exposes the country to new weaknesses.
One of the main vulnerabilities identified relates to dependence on international networks, such as Visa and Mastercard.
Although the scenario of an interruption for political reasons is considered unlikely, it highlights the risks of a payments system completely dependent on external infrastructure.
Financial sovereignty and digital currencies
The discussion about financial sovereignty extends across Europe. The European Central Bank is developing the digital euro, a public currency that aims to complement physical cash and reduce dependence on payment systems controlled by foreign companies, with launch scheduled for 2029.
The Riksbank itself has been studying the creation of the e-krona, a digital version of the Swedish currency, for several years. According to the institution, the digital crown would allow switching between money issued by the central bank and private solutions, working even without an internet connection and guaranteeing alternatives in the event of serious interruptions.
According to , this measure aims to balance the benefits of digitalization with the need to ensure the functioning of the economy under any circumstances.
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