The number of counterfeit euro banknotes recorded during the first half of 2017 has decreased compared with the previous six months, but remains on par with the first half of 2016.

The European Central Bank has released its latest figures revealing the number of counterfeit euro banknotes identified during the first half of 2017.

A total of 331,000 notes were withdrawn from circulation, the same number that was identified during the first half of 2016. It is notably less than that discovered during the previous six month period, between July and December 2016, where 353,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn.

With over 20 billion euro banknotes in circulation, the latest figures show that the percentage of counterfeit banknotes is very low at just 0.002%. The €20 and €50 denominations continue to be the most commonly counterfeited, accounting for 36.9% and 47.6% of all withdrawn counterfeit notes respectively.

The majority of counterfeit euro banknotes were found within the euro area countries. 2.3% were located in non euro EU Member States and 1.0% found in other countries around the world.

Read the press release in full from the European Central Bank.