Mainland China’s ATM machines are rapidly decreasing in number, according to data from the People’s Bank of China. By the end of the first quarter of 2026, the total number of ATMs nationwide has dropped to 725,800 units, a decrease of 280,400 units compared to the first quarter of 2021.
Reported by “First Financial” on May 19, the People’s Bank of China recently released the “Overall Situation of Payment System Operation in the First Quarter of 2026”. Data shows that as of the end of the first quarter of this year, there were 725,800 ATM machines nationwide, a decrease of 19,900 units compared to the fourth quarter of 2025.
The report mentions that the number of ATMs in mainland China had reached 1.1286 million units in the third quarter of 2018. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, in the second quarter of 2020, the number of ATM machines plummeted by nearly 100,000 units to 986,700 units. In the first quarter of 2021, the total number of ATMs nationwide rebounded to 1.0062 million units. However, the trend reversed thereafter, dropping below 900,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 895,900 units; falling below 800,000 units in the first quarter of 2025 to 792,500 units; and further decreasing to 725,800 units in the first quarter of this year.
According to statistics from “First Financial,” from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2026, the net decrease in ATM machines in mainland China was 280,400 units, a decrease of nearly 30%. Calculated over five years, this amounts to an average daily reduction of approximately 154 units.
Related reports indicate that against the backdrop of the widespread adoption of mobile payments, adjustments in bank branches, and a decrease in cash usage, the number of ATM machines in mainland China continues to decline. The business structures of ATM-related listed companies are also undergoing adjustments.
Mainland Chinese financial author Chen Qi mentioned in an article on NetEase on May 20 that the decrease in ATM machines is related to the adjustment of bank branches, a decrease in cash usage frequency, and the popularization of mobile payments.
In addition to the significant decrease in the number of ATM machines, the number of credit cards in mainland China is also steadily declining. According to data from the “Overall Situation of Payment System Operation in the First Quarter of 2026,” as of the end of the first quarter of this year, a total of 1.0261 billion bank cards have been issued nationwide, with 687 million being credit cards and combined debit cards, a decrease of approximately 9 million cards compared to the end of 2025. Compared to the peak of 807 million cards in the third quarter of 2022, the total number has decreased by about 120 million cards as of the end of the first quarter of this year. In 2025, 63 credit card centers in China collectively shut down within the year, and Bank of Communications closed 56 first-tier city branches.