Since the beginning of the year, the NBM has recorded a slowdown in the rate of cash withdrawals from bank teller windows on a year-over-year basis. The volume of cash withdrawals in May amounted to 15,530 million lei, which is 272 million lei (-1.7%) less than in the same month of the previous year, according to data from the regulator. By comparison, in April, net withdrawals exceeded deposits by 776 million lei, in March by 275 million lei, and in February by 1,028 million lei.
Retail trade (sales of consumer goods) remains the main source of cash inflows to banks, accounting for more than 60% of total cash inflows.
In May, revenue from the sale of consumer goods amounted to 9,112 million lei (60.3% of the total), which is 216 million lei (+2.4 percent) more than in the previous year.
However, the total volume of cash returns during the reporting month decreased to 15,118 million lei, which is 43 million lei (-0.3%) less than in the same month of the previous year.
Despite the net cash outflow in May 2026, the overall liquidity of Moldova’s banking system remains at a consistently high and safe level. Commercial banks meet the NBM’s regulatory requirements with a significant margin, so cash withdrawals by citizens do not pose a threat to their stability. The banking sector’s current liquidity ratios exceed the established minimum (20%) by more than two times.
