German corporate insolvencies fall 2.0% in May year-on-year
German courts recorded 1,995 corporate insolvency filings in May 2026, down 2.0% from May 2025, according to Destatis.
Source: Federal Statistical Office Germany · August 14, 2026 at 7:47 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 AUGUST 2026 —
Listen to this article
DomainFork Audio · read aloud
German courts recorded 1,995 corporate insolvency filings in May 2026, down 2.0% from May 2025, according to Destatis.
Market Impact
The decline follows a 1.0% drop in February 2026. Destatis notes that filings enter the statistics only after the initial court decision, typically about three months after the actual petition date.
From January to May 2026, filings totalled 10,546, up 4.9% year-on-year. Creditor claims fell to about €15.4 billion from €25.7 billion a year earlier, reflecting fewer large corporate failures in 2026.
The insolvency rate reached 29.8 per 10,000 firms for the five-month period, highest in transport and storage at 57.2, followed by accommodation and food services at 49.2 and construction at 44.0.
Consumer insolvencies dropped 10.3% in May to 5,926, while the January-May total rose 1.9% to 32,093. The statistics cover only insolvency-driven closures, not other business exits.