Hong Kong Monetary Authority: The total number of credit cards in circulation in Hong Kong at the end of the first quarter was 21.88 million, a year-on-year increase of 9.5%.

On June 20th, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority released statistics on payment cards issued in Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2025. The data shows that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the total number of credit cards in circulation in the market was 21.88 million, a quarterly increase of 4.5% and a year-on-year increase of 9.5%. The volume and amount of credit card transactions (including retail sales and cash advances) are easily affected by seasonal factors and the overall economic environment, resulting in fluctuations in trends. In the first quarter of 2025, the total number of credit card transactions was 332.44 million, a 2.0% decrease from the previous quarter but a 10.0% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The total amount of credit card transactions in the first quarter of 2025 was 274.1 billion Hong Kong dollars, a 1.0% increase from the previous quarter and an 8.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Of the total transaction amount, 186.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (67.9%) were for local consumption, 79 billion Hong Kong dollars (28.8%) were for overseas consumption, and 9 billion Hong Kong dollars (3.3%) were for cash advances. Regarding debit cards, it is difficult to calculate the total number of debit cards in circulation in the market as a single debit card can contain more than one debit card brand. Similar to credit card transactions, the volume and amount of debit card transactions involving retail sales and bill payments are also affected by seasonal factors. In the first quarter of 2025, the total volume of debit card transactions involving retail sales and bill payments decreased by 1.8% to 54.48 million transactions per quarter, while the total amount increased by 1.1% to 73.8 billion Hong Kong dollars. Compared to the same period in 2024, the total volume of debit card transactions in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 12.8%, while the total amount decreased by 2.0%.