A new study by the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal or BdP) reveals that 40% of civil parishes in Portugal lacked a physical cash access point in 2025. While 95% of the population lives within five kilometres of an ATM or bank branch, the central bank noted that rural areas, particularly in Trás-os-Montes, face significant difficulties.
Central bank study highlights rural cash access challenges
Monday, 20 July 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
- Governor of Banco de Portugal (2020–present)
- Former: Minister of Finance (2015–2020), President of the Eurogroup (2018–2020)
- Party: Independent (PS-affiliated)
- Background: Economist (PhD, Harvard)
Mário José Gomes de Freitas Centeno (born 1966) is Portugal's central bank governor and one of the country's most internationally recognized economic figures. As Finance Minister under António Costa's first PS government, he became known as "Cristiano Ronaldo of European finance" for turning Portugal's deficit into a surplus while reversing austerity.
He was elected president of the Eurogroup (the informal body of euro area finance ministers) in 2018 — the first Portuguese to hold the role. Since becoming Governor of Banco de Portugal in 2020, he sits on the ECB's Governing Council and oversees Portuguese banking supervision and financial stability.
7 sources
- 700,000 people live in parishes where it is not possible to withdraw moneyObservador ·
- 67 civil parishes have no ATM or bank within 15 kilometreseco.sapo.pt ·
- Trás-os-Montes is the worst region for withdrawing cash, Alentejo is on the same pathpublico.pt ·
- 570,000 Portuguese people have to travel more than 5 km to reach an ATMdn.pt ·
- Banco de Portugal downplays impact of branch closures: 95% can withdraw cash within five kilometresexpresso.pt ·
- Banco de Portugal identifies 1,241 civil parishes without access to cashcmjornal.pt ·
- More than a third of Portugal's civil parishes have no access point for physical cashcnnportugal.iol.pt ·
