The amount of cash in circulation rose by 18%, or RON8 billion, compared with the year-earlier period, while, versus the end of 2008, it increased by RON26 billion.
The increase of cash in circulation was mainly triggered by higher consumption, poor financial education, the preference of Romanians for cash payments and the inexistence of alternative payment solutions in the public sector, according to analysts.
The currency in circulation has been rising at a double-digit rate in the past decade, with only a few exceptions during the financial crisis, so that it is currently six fold higher compared with 2004 value.