Worldwide ATM Installations Dipped In 2018

The number of ATMs installed during 2018 declined by 1 percent on a worldwide basis, found RBR, the research firm.

In a press release, RBR said the number of ATMs stood at 3.24 million at the end of 2018 and that the decline was due to branch closures and growing popularity of mobile payments. In RBR’s new Global ATM Market and Forecasts to 2024 report, it found the number of ATMs declined in four of the five largest markets last year. More than half of the ATMs are in China, USA, Japan and Brazil, which all saw a decline in machines installed. In India, RBR said growth “slowed considerably.”

According to the report, while the outcome was the same in each of the countries – a decline in ATMs – the reasons were varied. In China, for example, RBR said growing adoption of non-cash payment methods has resulted in a rapid decline in new ATMs being installed. In the U.S., branch closures are to blame for the decline, as well as retailers deciding to withdraw ATM machines rather than upgrade to EMV standards. In Japan, the ATM market declined for the first time since 2009, and was hurt by banks’ efforts to improve efficiencies by sharing ATMs. Brazil saw that trend in years past, but the decline of about 1,200 terminals in 2018 was attributed to banks removing the machines as consumers increasingly favor digital payments.

RBR said that despite the decline of ATMs on a worldwide basis last year, installations are growing in most countries. The ATM installations are being helped by efforts to broaden financial inclusion in developing markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Even with more installations expected in developing markets, growth should still continue to decline over the next few years. By 2024, RBR predicts there will be 3.22 million ATMs around the world.