Sharp rise in bankructcies

Dutch courts pronounced more than 2,700 bankruptcies in the first half of 2001. This is 35% up on the same period last year, continuing the rising trend observed since mid-1999.

Bankruptcy pronouncements

Large differences between legal forms and sectors of industry

The increase described above was not the same for all legal forms. The number of bankruptcies of private persons in the first half of this year was seven hundred, three quarters up on the first half of last year. This increase was partly caused by the bankruptcies of four hundred people who had previously fallen under the legal debt restructuring schemes.

The number of companies and institutions going into receivership rose by one quarter compared with the first half of last year. The increase was largest for private companies, rising from 1,190 to 1,551 (up thirty percent). The increase was lowest for the category of one-man businesses: 11%.

Bankruptcy pronouncements by legal form in the first half of the year

The number of companies going into receivership rose in most sectors of industry, the largest increase (76%) being in the sector ‘financial institutions, lease companies and business services’.

Bill Swaager