Bankruptcies up by 9 percent in August, year on year

© CBS / Nikki van Toorn

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that 304 businesses were declared bankrupt in August 2026. That was 24 more bankruptcies than August last year, and also 38 more than in July 2026. The bankruptcy rate was higher than the previous year, with 8.1 bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses in August 2026.

Bankruptcy rate higher than last year

The bankruptcy rate in August was 8.1. This compares to 7.6 bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses in August 2025.

Since the start of the series in 2015, the bankruptcy rate peaked at 24.8 in March 2015. After that, there was a steady decline to a record low of 3.4 in August 2021. The number of bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses then rose again until 2024, when the bankruptcy rate stabilised until the autumn of 2024. Since then, the trend has been slightly downwards.

Largest change in bankruptcy rate in accommodation and food services sector

In August, the highest number of bankruptcies relative to the number of businesses was recorded in the accommodation and food services sector, followed by the manufacturing sector. There were 21 bankruptcies per 100 thousand accommodation and food services companies in August 2026, compared 30.8 in August 2025. In addition, the bankruptcy rate in the accommodation and food services sector saw the most significant change.

The figures by sector have not been adjusted for court session days.

Sources