How much money exists beyond the notes in our wallets?
The notes in a wallet are easy to count. Bank deposits make the question harder: in the euro area, the answer changes depending on whether “money” means the narrow M1 measure or the broader M3 measure.
Questions you could explore
- Why are M1, M2, and M3 nested measures rather than amounts to add together?
Start reading
- European Central BankMonetary aggregates
The ECB defines which euro-area deposits and other instruments belong in M1, M2, and M3. Its table makes the overlapping categories visible.
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