Insolvency trends rise in Germany and Austria

In Austria, corporate insolvencies in the first three quarters of 2026 showed a slight decrease of 7.65 percent compared to the previous year, totaling 5,389 proceedings. However, AKV Europa warns that this does not indicate a sustainable recovery, noting a 17 percent increase in cases rejected due to insufficient assets. The real estate sector saw the largest insolvencies by total liabilities, including Signa-related companies, while the retail, construction, and gastronomy sectors recorded the highest number of individual cases.

In the Austrian state of Styria, the situation is worsening with 449 companies entering insolvency in the first nine months, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. Total liabilities in the region surged by nearly 165 percent, rising from 277 million to approximately 735 million euros. The number of employees affected at the time of insolvency also rose significantly to 2,448.

In Germany, Destatis reported that corporate insolvency filings rose by 8.0 percent in July 2026 compared to the previous year. For the first seven months of the year, total filings reached 15,185, a 6.9 percent increase. The transport and storage sector remains the most frequently affected industry. Despite the rise in filings, the total claims of creditors decreased by nearly 10 billion euros compared to the previous year.