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When Polymer Banknotes Were Introduced, by Country (1988–2023)

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See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

This sunburst diagram uses data from Wikipedia to break down by year the number of nations that introduced polymer banknotes between 1988 and 2023.

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:

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.

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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.

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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.

RankBankrate's Best
For Retirement
Older Adults
Moving Here
Net Retiree
Migration (2024)
1DelawareFlorida+77,290
2West VirginiaArizona+23,515
3GeorgiaSouth Carolina+20,895
4South CarolinaTexas+18,742
5MissouriNorth Carolina+11,339
6MississippiGeorgia+10,235
7PennsylvaniaAlabama+8,593
8FloridaTennessee+8,329
9IowaNevada+6,091
10WyomingKentucky+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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