The Federal Statistical Office reported an increase in corporate insolvency applications in Germany. In June 2026, a rise of 15.8 percent was registered compared to the same month of the previous year, corresponding to 2,266 proceedings. For the first half of 2026, the number of corporate insolvency applications stands at 12,812, which represents an increase of 6.7 percent compared to the analogous period of the previous year.
The Association of Insolvency Administrators and Trustees in Germany (VID) emphasises the need for a differentiated analysis of this development. Despite the current increase, the insolvency level remains low in historical comparison. In 2004, 39,213 corporate insolvencies were applied for, and in 2009, 32,687. The full year 2025 recorded 24,064 cases. The gap to these peak figures remains significant, even with the increase in the first half of 2026.
Jutta Rüdlin, a board member of the VID, stated that the figures are rising from a historically low level and are still far from the peaks of 2004 and 2009. She interprets the development less as a wave and more as an ongoing structural change, the effects of which are very different across various sectors.
The highest insolvency frequency was observed in the transport and storage sector with 71.6 cases per 10,000 companies. The hospitality sector followed with 59.6 cases, and the construction sector with 53.4 cases. These sector-specific developments are based on particular factors. In the construction industry, high building costs and client reluctance are impactful. The hospitality sector is burdened by increased personnel and energy costs. Retail faces altered consumer habits and competition from online business. Service providers are suffering from declining orders and increased financing costs.
The situation in the transport and logistics sector is particularly highlighted. Here, increased raw material and fuel prices coincide with difficult working hours, a strained driver market, and long-term freight contracts. These contracts often prevent the passing on of increased costs to clients. Ms Rüdlin explained that with low margins of a few percent, there is no room to absorb increased fuel prices. In the transport sector, a single cost block can decide the survival of a business.
The sector's structure, characterised by strong fragmentation and a network of subcontractors and sub-subcontractors, exacerbates this problem. At the lower levels of these chains, the smallest margins are generated, and reserves are often lacking, meaning that smaller economic shocks can hardly be absorbed. Smaller companies and sole traders who depend on individual large clients are particularly vulnerable here. Ms Rüdlin explained that difficulties faced by a larger client can affect the entire chain, right down to the individual driver, within weeks, and anyone who bases their business on only one or two major clients has no second pillar in an emergency.
For the full year 2026, the VID predicts a continued increase in corporate insolvencies. The significant burdening factors include higher financing costs, increased personnel and energy costs, and a permanent shift in consumer behaviour across several sectors. The VID board member anticipates further rising figures for the full year but rules out a major insolvency wave. The increase remains manageable and primarily affects business models that were already under pressure before the recent cost increases. A widespread economic collapse cannot be inferred from this.
