Bankruptcies up by 16 percent in September, year on year

These are the most recent figures on this topic. View the previous figures here.
© CBS / Nikki van Toorn

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that 320 businesses were declared bankrupt in September 2026. That was 44 more bankruptcies than in September last year, and also 16 more than in August 2026. The bankruptcy rate was higher than the previous year, with 8.5 bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses in September 2026.

Bankruptcy rate higher than last year

The bankruptcy rate in September was 8.5. This compares to 7.5 bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses in September 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 and a record low of 3.4 was reached in August 2021. The number of bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses rose again until 2024. The bankruptcy rate then stabilised and fell again slightly in 2025. From mid-2025 onwards, it remained around 7 and 8.

Change in bankruptcy rate most pronounced in the accommodation and food services sector

In September, the highest number of bankruptcies relative to the number of businesses was recorded in the transportation and storage sector. There were 37.8 bankruptcies per 100 thousand businesses in transportation and storage in September 2026, compared with 25.3 in September 2025.

However, the bankruptcy rate in the accommodation and food services sector saw the most significant change. The bankruptcy rate in this sector fell from 46.7 last year to 25.2 in September 2026.

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

Sources