93% of ₹2,000 notes in circulation returned: RBI

The total value of ₹2,000 banknotes in circulation as at the close of business on August 31, 2023 declined to ₹24,000 crore from ₹42,000 crore as at July 31, 2023, according to RBI.

Thus, 93 per cent of these notes in circulation as on May 19, 2023, have been returned.

The total value of ₹2,000 banknotes received back from circulation by banks is ₹3.32 lakh-crore up to August 31, 2023, as per latest central bank data.

“Consequently, ₹2,000 banknotes in circulation as at the close of business on August 31, 2023 stood at ₹0.24 lakh crore (or ₹24,000 crore). Thus, 93 per cent of the ₹2,000 banknotes in circulation as on May 19, 2023, have since been returned,” per a RBI statement.

Data collected from major banks indicates that out of the total banknotes in ₹2,000 denomination received back from circulation, about 87 per cent is in the form of deposits and the remaining around 13 per cent has been exchanged into other denomination banknotes, RBI said.

RBI requested members of the public to utilise the remaining period until September 30, 2023 to deposit and/or exchange the ₹2,000 banknotes held with them.

Clean Note Policy

RBI had announced the withdrawal of ₹2,000 banknotes on May 19, 2023, from circulation as these notes are not commonly used for transactions and the stock of bank notes in other denominations continues to be adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public.

The central bank also said the withdrawal is in pursuance of its “Clean Note Policy”.

The total value of ₹2,000 banknotes in circulation, which amounted to ₹3.62 lakh crore on March 31, 2023 had declined to ₹3.56 lakh crore as at the close of business on May 19, 2023.