By the end of 2017, 54.6 percent of all cards issued globally were EMV-enabled, and the number of EMV payment cards in circulation worldwide stood at 7.1 billion — an increase of 1 billion year over year, according to data published by EMVCo.
Nearly two-thirds (63.7 percent) of all card-present transactions conducted globally in 2017 used EMV chip technology, increasing from 52.4 percent in 2016, an EMVCo press release said.
"Both EMV chip card issuance and EMV chip transactions surpassing 50 percent globally is testament to the increasing maturity of the worldwide infrastructure, and a significant milestone for the payments community," EMVCo Executive Committee Chair Jack Pan said in the release.
Regional EMV chip card adoption rate: Africa and the Middle East: 74.8 percent; Asia Pacific: 45.7 percent; Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean: 85.7 percent; Europe, Zone 1: 84.4 percent; Europe, Zone 2: 71.4 percent; United States: 58.5 percent
Percentage of card-present transactions that are EMV: Africa and the Middle East: 90.9 percent; Asia Pacific: 54.4 percent; Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean: 88.5 percent; Europe, Zone 1: 98.6 percent; Europe, Zone 2: 90.4 percent; United States: 41.2 percent
