Cash remains the preferred method of payment for most Fijians despite the growing availability of mobile money, internet banking and other digital financial services, according to the Fiji Financial Services Demand Side Survey 2025.
The survey found that 60 per cent of Fijians prefer using cash, while 36 per cent prefer digital payments but do not know how to use them.
Only a small proportion indicated a clear preference for digital payments.
The preference for cash was relatively consistent between men and women, with 59 per cent of males and 61 per cent of females preferring cash.
However, significant differences emerge when the figures are broken down by age.
Younger Fijians were more open to digital payments, with only 55 per cent of those aged 15 to 35 preferring cash.
Cash preference increased to 56 per cent among those aged 36 to 55 before climbing sharply among older Fijians.
About 78 per cent of people aged 56 to 65 preferred cash, rising further to 82 per cent among those aged 66 and above.
There were also considerable geographical differences.
The Northern Division recorded the strongest preference for cash at 70 per cent, followed by the Western Division at 65 per cent and Eastern Division at 63 per cent.
In the Central Division, only 52 per cent preferred cash, while 43 per cent said they preferred digital payments but did not know how to use them.
Rural residents were also considerably more likely to favour cash, with 68 per cent preferring cash compared with 54 per cent of urban residents.
The survey found convenience was the biggest reason people continued using cash.
Among those who preferred cash, 42 per cent said it was because cash was easy to use, while 25 per cent said merchants and stores mainly used cash.
Another 16 per cent used cash to avoid bank charges or fees, while 13 per cent preferred it for emergencies.
Despite the strong preference for cash, the survey indicates there is potential for greater digital payment adoption if barriers to usage are addressed.
People with disabilities were significantly more likely to report preferring cash because they did not know how to use digital banking services or experienced difficulty using them.
Among Fijians aged over 66, 67 per cent reported lower education levels and 60 per cent experienced significant difficulty using digital services, making electronic payments particularly challenging for this group.
The survey also found that while 39 per cent of people over 66 preferred cash for all payments, 59 per cent would consider not using cash in certain situations.
Overall, just 40 per cent of Fijians using formal financial services preferred digital payments over cash, highlighting the continued dominance of physical currency despite Fiji’s expanding digital financial landscape.
