The impact of inflation grows: Is the 50 TL banknote becoming a thing of the past?

As the impact of inflation in Turkey leads to a greater presence of 200 lira banknotes in the market, it is being observed that 50 lira banknotes are being withdrawn from circulation.

Since January, the total market share of 100 and 200 lira banknotes has reached 96 percent. Meanwhile, 50 lira banknotes are being seen less and less in the market.

Economists state that this situation has accelerated with the increased use of 100 and 200 lira banknotes.

Economist Prof. Dr. Şenol Babuşçu, while evaluating the market distribution of banknotes, stated that 200 lira banknotes have increased by 24.2 points in the last year. Babuşçu noted that the greatest loss of value has occurred in 100 lira banknotes.

The following statements were included in Babuşçu's social media post:

The 200 TL banknote completely dominates the market.

While 100 TL notes are in their final days, 50 TL notes have begun to be forgotten.

When looking at the development of banknotes in circulation by value, the share of 200 and 100 TL banknotes in the total market is at the 96% level (January 2025).

In terms of QUANTITY, more than half of the banknotes in circulation belong to 200 TL banknotes.

In the last 1 year, the share of the 200 TL banknote among banknotes in terms of quantity has increased by 24.2 points. The greatest erosion in terms of share is in the 100 TL banknote, with 14.8 points.

When looking at the distribution of banknotes in terms of quantity, a very rapid increase in the share of 200 TL banknotes has been observed, especially after July 2021.