Bank Branch Closures Challenge Seniors in Austria and Germany

In Austria’s Styria region, more than a third of bank branches have shut over the past 20 years, with self‑service kiosks replacing them. The closure of the Raiffeisenkasse Kobenz branch forces older residents to travel to Knittelfeld for personal service, which mayor Eva Pickl says is difficult for many. Anti‑discrimination chief Daniela Grabovac warns that rapid digitalisation excludes seniors and notes ongoing EU discussions about protecting analog infrastructure such as banks and post offices.

In Germany, a similar wave of branch closures since 2022 has left seniors without familiar in‑person assistance. Carolin Favretto, head of the senior‑assistant association, highlights that people over 80, who never learned digital banking, now face password, app and TAN‑code hurdles. A Bitkom survey shows 43 % of those aged 75+ use online banking, while many cite fear of errors, poor eyesight and fine‑motor issues as barriers. Both countries see growing calls for maintaining analog banking options for the elderly.