Business registrations across the EU declined by 0.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, while business bankruptcies increased by 5.7%, new data from Eurostat has found.
According to Eurostat, business registrations decreased in five of the eight sectors covered by the data. Industry recorded the largest decline, with registrations falling by 3.6% compared with the first quarter. Accommodation and food services followed with a 3.4% decrease, while education and social services recorded a 3.2% decline.
Elsewhere, the information and communication sector recorded an increase of 8.8% in business registrations during the quarter. Construction also recorded an increase, with registrations rising by 1.0%. Registrations in financial services were unchanged.
New business registrations
‘Comparing Q2 2026 with Q1 2026, among the EU countries, the largest decreases in registrations of new businesses were observed in Luxembourg (-24.2%), Lithuania (-12.4%) and Denmark (-8.2%),’ Eurostat commented.
‘The highest increases in registrations of new businesses were observed in Ireland (+20.4%), Belgium (+8.2%) and Sweden (+7.6%).’
Bankruptcies increase
The number of bankruptcies increased in five of the eight sectors during the second quarter. The education and social activities sector recorded the largest increase, with a 21.1% rise in bankruptcies. Transport followed, with bankruptcies rising by 11.4%, while financial services recorded an increase of 6.8%.
Bankruptcies decreased in three sectors. Accommodation and food services recorded a 2.6% decline, while construction saw bankruptcies fall by 1.7%. Trade recorded a 1.2% decrease.
‘The highest [quarter-on-quarter] increases in bankruptcy declarations were observed in Estonia (+31.8%), Greece (+31.6%) and Croatia (+20.5%),’ Eurostat added. ‘The largest decreases in the number of declarations of bankruptcies were recorded in Malta (-50.0%), Cyprus (-41.7%) and Slovakia (-33.5%).’ Read more here.
