The number of bankrupt companies in the EU in the second quarter of 2023 increased for the sixth consecutive quarter and reached 106, the highest since the beginning of data recording, i.e. since 2015, according to the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat).
In quarterly terms, the number of bankruptcies increased by 8.4%.
At the same time, the number of new company registrations decreased by only 0.6% to 124. The figure has been stable around 120 companies since the third quarter of 2020 after falling to 80 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The most notable increase in the number of bankruptcies in April-June was recorded in the hotel and catering sectors (by 23.9% compared to the first quarter), as well as in the transport and warehousing sector (by 15.2%).
The number of bankruptcies also increased in almost all sectors compared to the pre-pandemic fourth quarter of 2019. The only sectors where the number of bankruptcies decreased during this period were industry (-11.5%) and construction (-2.7%).
