Local courts in Germany registered 24,064 corporate insolvency applications last year, representing a 10.3% increase compared to 2024, according to the federal statistical office, Destatis.
While the rise is significant, it is lower than the increases seen in both 2023 (+22.1%) and 2024 (+22.4%).
The number of corporate insolvencies in 2025 was the highest recorded since 2014, when 24,085 cases were reported. During the financial crisis of 2009, the country saw a peak of 32,687 corporate insolvencies.
Despite the increase in filings, total claims by creditors fell to roughly €47.9 billion in 2025, down from €58.1 billion in 2024. This apparent discrepancy is attributed to a decrease in the number of economically significant ‘large insolvencies,’ which declined by 49 cases, or 15.6%, compared to the previous year.
In addition, while more companies filed for insolvency, these were generally smaller firms with lower outstanding claims.
‘Insolvency statistics only reflect business closures that occur during insolvency proceedings, but not those for other reasons or before the onset of acute payment difficulties,’ Destatis noted.
Sector by sector
Sector-specific analysis highlights that insolvency rates are highest in industries that are sensitive to economic fluctuations. The transport and warehousing sector, for example, experienced the highest insolvency rate, with 133 corporate failures per 10,000 companies.
This was followed by hospitality at 108 cases, construction at 104 cases, and other business services, including temporary employment agencies, at 100 cases per 10,000 firms.
December 2025 saw a notable increase in filings, with 2,037 corporate insolvency applications, 13.7% higher than in December 2024. Creditors’ claims for the month totalled €3.6 billion, compared to €5.8 billion in the same period the previous year.
Elsewhere, consumer insolvencies also rose during 2025, reaching 77,219 cases in 2025, an 8.4% increase over 2024, with 6,278 consumer insolvencies reported in December (+12.3% year-on-year). Read more here.
