Finance
German corporate insolvencies reach highest level since 2014
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 13, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 13, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 13, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 13, 2026
In 2025, Germany recorded around 23,900 corporate insolvencies—the highest since 2014—driven by weak demand, high costs, and structural headwinds, with SMEs especially stressed and limited recovery expected in 2026.
BERLIN, March 13 (Reuters) - The total number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany rose to its highest level in more than a decade last year, according to data published by the federal statistics office on Friday.
Local courts registered 24,064 corporate insolvency filings, 10.3% more than in the previous year, according to the figures.
"2025 was an especially weak year for Germany as a place to do business," said Volker Treier, chief analyst for the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).
"On average, a company files for bankruptcy every 20 minutes in Germany," said Treier, adding that there is little hope that this year will bring relief.
Germany's anaemic economic growth last year, after two years of recession, contributed to the rise in bankruptcies.
Europe's largest economy is expected to recover modestly over the course of this year, assuming energy prices driven up by the war in Iran go back to normal in the next few months, according to forecasts from three economic institutes.
"Insolvency figures have risen, but they remain far below those of previous crises," said Christoph Niering, chairman of the VID insolvency administrators' association.
By comparison: During the financial and economic crisis of 2009, there were 32,687 bankruptcies.
Insolvency figures are likely to rise further in 2026 because many industries are facing major challenges, such as the automotive industry and healthcare, Niering said.
(Reporting by Klaus LauerWriting by Miranda MurrayEditing by Ludwig Burger)
24,064 corporate insolvency filings were registered by local courts in Germany last year.
Corporate insolvency filings in Germany increased by 10.3% compared to the prior year.
Anaemic economic growth and prior years of recession contributed to the increase in bankruptcies.
Insolvency figures are still far below the 32,687 bankruptcies recorded during the 2009 financial crisis.
Insolvency figures are expected to rise further in 2026 due to challenges in major industries like automotive and healthcare.
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