Money
When Polymer Banknotes Were Introduced, by Country (1988–2023)
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Polymer Banknotes Around the World
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
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:
Country | Year of Introduction | Event type |
---|---|---|
🇦🇺 Australia | 1988 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇸🇬 Singapore | 1990 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 1991 | Sports Events |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 1993 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇰🇼 Kuwait | 1993 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇧🇳 Brunei | 1996 | Non-Commermorative |
🇹🇭 Thailand | 1997 | Non-Commermorative |
🇲🇾 Malaysia | 1998 | Sports Events |
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 1998 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇳🇿 New Zealand | 1999 | Non-Commermorative |
🇷🇴 Romania | 1999 | Scientific and Astronomical Events |
🇹🇼 Taiwan | 1999 | Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1999 | Scientific and Astronomical Events |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 2000 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇨🇳 China | 2000 | Scientific and Astronomical Events |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 2000 | Non-Commermorative |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 2002 | Non-Commermorative |
🇳🇵 Nepal | 2002 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇻🇳 Vietnam | 2003 | Non-Commermorative |
🇬🇹 Guatemala | 2007 | Non-Commermorative |
🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 2007 | Non-Commermorative |
🇳🇬 Nigeria | 2007 | Non-Commermorative |
🇮🇱 Israel | 2008 | Non-Commermorative |
🇼🇸 Samoa | 2008 | Non-Commermorative |
🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 2008 | Non-Commermorative |
🇨🇱 Chile | 2009 | Non-Commermorative |
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 2010 | Non-Commermorative |
🇭🇳 Honduras | 2010 | Non-Commermorative |
🇨🇦 Canada | 2011 | Non-Commermorative |
🇲🇿 Mozambique | 2011 | Non-Commermorative |
🇱🇧 Lebanon | 2013 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇲🇺 Mauritius | 2013 | Non-Commermorative |
🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 2014 | Non-Commermorative |
🇬🇲 The Gambia | 2014 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇲🇷 Mauritania | 2014 | Non-Commermorative |
🇵🇱 Poland | 2014 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 2014 | Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones |
🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 2014 | Non-Commermorative |
🇲🇻 Maldives | 2015 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇧🇼 Botswana | 2018 | Non-Commermorative |
🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 2018 | Non-Commermorative |
🇷🇺 Russia | 2018 | Sports Events |
🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 2018 | Non-Commermorative |
🇺🇾 Uruguay | 2018 | Institutional Anniversaries and Economic Milestones |
🇦🇱 Albania | 2019 | Non-Commermorative |
🇱🇾 Libya | 2019 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇲🇦 Morocco | 2019 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇸🇧 The Solomons | 2019 | Non-Commermorative |
🇦🇴 Angola | 2020 | Non-Commermorative |
🇳🇦 Namibia | 2020 | Independence and National Sovereignty |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 2020 | Non-Commermorative |
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 2021 | Historical Milestones and Anniversaries |
🇦🇪 Barbados | 2022 | Non-Commermorative |
🇪🇬 Egypt | 2022 | Non-Commermorative |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 2022 | Non-Commermorative |
🇯🇲 Jamaica | 2023 | Non-Commermorative |
🇹🇴 Tonga | 2023 | Historical 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.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Demographics
Charted: Best States for Retirement vs. Where Retirees Actually Move
Data analysis versus hard data: the best places for retirement always triggers a discussion. A simple comparison was needed.
Charted: Best States for Retirement vs Where Retirees Are Moving
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Lists of the best places for retirement—whether around the world or in the U.S.—are always hotly contested. Experts and financial advisors use various metrics to arrive at their conclusions. Readers weigh in with their experiences. There’s always very little consensus.
In one of the most recent lists, we visualized how Bankrate ranked the best states for retirement. But there’s what the data analysis says, and then there’s what the hard data says—that is, where are retirees actually moving?
This chart compares the states considered best for retirement (source linked to above) versus the top states by older adult net migration numbers (sourced from SmartAsset).
Best U.S. States to Retire In
Bankrate’s analysis and SmartAsset’s migration data found only three states in common: Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Rank | Bankrate's Best For Retirement | Older Adults Moving Here | Net Retiree Migration (2024) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Delaware | Florida | +77,290 |
2 | West Virginia | Arizona | +23,515 |
3 | Georgia | South Carolina | +20,895 |
4 | South Carolina | Texas | +18,742 |
5 | Missouri | North Carolina | +11,339 |
6 | Mississippi | Georgia | +10,235 |
7 | Pennsylvania | Alabama | +8,593 |
8 | Florida | Tennessee | +8,329 |
9 | Iowa | Nevada | +6,091 |
10 | Wyoming | Kentucky | +5,878 |
Bankrate’s study judged all 50 states by five key metrics with different weights: affordability (40%), well-being (25%), healthcare (20%), weather (10%), and crime (5%). Their top picks: Delaware, West Virginia, and Georgia, were all heavily favored for their affordability.
Meanwhile, the top states by net migration of older adults are: Florida, Arizona, and South Carolina.
Perhaps most interesting is that Bankrate put Texas and North Dakota in their bottom 10 states to retire in—docking points for well-being and healthcare. However, by migration numbers, Texas and North Dakota rank fourth and fifth respectively.
So what are these discrepancies telling us? One explanation could be that experts are underrating how much weather is playing a part in where older adults move. Except for Kentucky, all of the top 10 by migration can be considered “warm” states—hot summers and mild winters.
Affordability might also be given a much larger consideration by financial advisors. For example, Florida ranked 8th in Bankrate’s analysis only losing points for its higher cost of living. But for retirees, the hot, humid summers seem worth the additional costs they have to bear.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
Check out Statista’s The Generational Savings Divide in the U.S. to see how asset classes change in popularity depending on how old one is.
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