German Corporate Insolvencies Reach 13-Year High in First Half of 2026
German corporate insolvencies rose 6.7% year-on-year to 12,812 cases in the first half of 2026, the highest first-half total since 2013, federal statistics show.
Corporate insolvencies in Germany climbed to their highest first-half level in 13 years during the first six months of 2026, even as broader indicators pointed to a tentative recovery in Europe's largest economy.
Local courts registered 12,812 corporate insolvency filings between January and June, a 6.7% increase compared with the same period a year earlier, according to figures released by the federal statistics office on Friday.
The last time a higher first-half total was recorded was in 2013, when 13,253 cases were filed.
Transportation and warehousing emerged as the sectors most affected by the wave of business failures.
Creditors' claims tied to the corporate insolvencies were estimated at roughly €18.5 billion, or about $21.5 billion. That is well below the €28.2 billion reported for the same period last year, a difference attributed to the larger economic weight of the companies that went insolvent in 2025.
Consumer insolvencies also edged higher, rising 2.4% to 38,932 cases.
The insolvency data contrast with recent signs of stabilisation in the German economy. Output expanded more strongly in the second quarter than initially estimated, while business morale in August reached its highest level in a year.