Schlimmstes Halbjahr seit 2013: Keine Atempause: Insolvenzwelle auf langjährigem Rekordhoch

The worst half-year since 2013 has seen no respite in Germany's corporate insolvency crisis, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In June, the number of company bankruptcies in the country has risen sharply, with 12,812 cases registered as of the mid-year point, the highest first-half figure since 2013, a 6.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer (DIHK) views this trend as a warning signal to the governing coalition, urging them to stick to their reform course. DIHK expert Marc Evers says, "To move away from the bankruptcy records, we need swift implementation of the agreed reforms and overall economic policy that brings company competitiveness back to the forefront."

After a slight easing in May, Amtsgerichte (district courts) registered 2,266 applications for corporate insolvencies in June, a 15.8 percent rise compared to a year earlier. The Federal Association of the German Economy (IHK) reported this as the highest monthly total since 2014. Consumer insolvencies also increased, rising by 5.1 percent to 6,839 cases in June.

Smaller claims dominated, with the total claims from creditors reaching approximately 18.5 billion euros in the first six months, down from 28.2 billion in the previous period. This implies a surge in smaller procedures. The insolvency affects businesses across all sectors, with the transport and warehousing sector recording 71.6 cases per 10,000 enterprises, and the construction and building sector with 59.6 and 53.4 cases, respectively.

The outlook remains bleak, as the German economy has been rattled by a prolonged wave of bankruptcies. In 2023 and 2024, the number of corporate bankruptcies rose by over 20 percent each year. No signs of improvement are in sight, according to the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (IWH) which has predicted insolvency numbers for companies and individuals until the end of August.

Only a short pause in the flow of cases is expected, as Destatis only records cases after a first court decision, and also includes micro-enterprises. The IWH figures show 1,525 relevant company insolvencies in August 2025, a 9 percent increase compared to the August average in 2016-2019. Even more employees are affected, says Steffen Müller, head of the IWH insolvency research.

Meanwhile, the insolvency professionals see no reason to alarm, viewing the development as primarily the result of economic structural change, explains Christoph Niering, president of the Association of Insolvency Administrators and Executors. The crucial point is that after insolvency, capital, land, and labor flow into future-oriented business models, he adds.