The Bundesbank registered approximately 63,000 counterfeit euro banknotes with a nominal value of €3.3 million in 2014, which represents a 63 % increase year on year. Statistically, this­ equates to eight counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 inhabitants.

In 2012, the Bundesbank detected approximately 41,500 counterfeit euro banknotes. This means that the number of counterfeits rose – albeit from a low level (2011: 39,000) – by around 6.4% on the year.

The number of counterfeits recorded by the Bundesbank has risen by 63% on the year. Bundesbank Executive Board member Carl-Ludwig Thiele says that the incidence of counterfeits in Germany is still low on the whole, however. The €50 note is a particular favourite among counterfeiters.

Bundesbankpräsident Jens Weidmann hat sich mit etwa 140 Schülerinnen und Schülern aus ganz Deutschland getroffen. Die Jugendlichen zwischen 17 und 25 Jahren stellten Fragen rund um die Aufgaben der Bundesbank und erhielten teils überraschende Antworten.

In the first half of 2013 the Bundesbank detected around 19,500 counterfeit euro banknotes. This means that the number of counterfeits was down by 13.6 per cent compared with the second half of 2012.

In the first half of 2012, the Bundesbank detected approximately 19,000 counterfeit euro banknotes in German payments. This means that the number of counterfeits fell by 5% compared with the second half of 2011.