The number of Company bankruptcies in Germany is in
last year increased significantly again. The German district courts recorded 24,064 filed corporate insolvencies, 10.3 percent more than in the previous year, as the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced. The last time there were more corporate bankruptcies was in 2014 (24,085 cases). During the financial and economic crisis of 2009 there were 32,687 Bankruptcies.
Despite more bankruptcies Creditors’ claims fell to around 47.9 billion euros from 58.1 billion euros in the previous year. According to the statistics office, the reason for this is that fewer economically important companies filed for bankruptcy in 2025. The number of so-called major bankruptcies with claims of more than 25 million euros fell by 15.6 percent.
Most bankruptcies According to the information, these occurred in the areas of transport and storage. This is followed by the hospitality and construction industries. “The figures published today show that on average a company in Germany had to file for bankruptcy every 20 minutes,” said Volker Treier, chief analyst at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK). Consumers were also affected by the economic downturn. In 2025 as a whole, there were 77,219 consumer bankruptcies, 8.4 percent more than in 2024.
Looking ahead to 2026 also gives little hope for a turnaround, Treier continued. He referred to a DIHK survey according to which “the slight economic buoyant forces” such as government spending on armaments are not yet widely felt by companies. Developments in the Middle East represent an additional risk.