The number of insolvency applications in Germany continues to rise significantly. Preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicate an increase of 11.6 percent in applications filed in August compared to the same month last year.
It’s important to note that insolvency filings are incorporated into the statistics only after an initial decision by the insolvency court, according to Destatis officials on Thursday. Consequently, the actual date of the application is often approximately three months prior.
Final results show that Germany’s local courts registered 12,009 applications for company insolvencies during the first half of 2025, a 12.2 percent increase compared to the first half of 2024.
The total claims of creditors arising from the company insolvencies registered in the first half of 2025 amounted to approximately €28.2 billion. This figure is lower than the €32.4 billion reported for the first half of 2024. Destatis explains this reduction in claims despite the increased number of insolvency filings stems from a higher proportion of economically significant companies declaring insolvency in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2025.
There were 1,957 company insolvency applications registered in June of this year, representing an 18.4 percent increase compared to June of 2024. Across Germany, there were a total of 34.6 company insolvencies per 10,000 companies in the first half of 2025. The sector with the highest insolvency rate per 10,000 companies was Transport and Logistics, with 64.5 cases, followed by Hospitality (52.7 cases) and Construction (52.3 cases).
Germany also saw a rise in consumer insolvencies, with 38,016 filings registered in the first half of 2025. This represents a 7.5 percent increase compared to the first half of 2024. In June, 6,510 consumer insolvencies were reported, a 9.9 percent increase year-on-year.
