German bankruptcies up 15.2% in December, sharp rise from November

German insolvencies, as measured by filings in the country's district courts, rose by an annual 15.2% in December, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office released on Monday.

That was a sharp rise from the 5.7% annual increase seen in November, the office reported.

However, the office noted that the figures included initial not final decisions from the courts, and those are generally made three months after a filing.

The office did not provide figures for the full year.

But researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research in Halle (IWH) recently estimated in an analysis that the number of corporate bankruptcies in 2025 rose to the highest level in 20 years. It put the level at 17,604.

Even during the financial crisis in 2009, the number was about 5% lower then, the institute said.

Businesses failed because of lingering effects from the the coronavirus period and interest rate policy, IWH economists said. Germany's difficult economy is also taking its toll, they added.

Final October figures show 4.8% annual rise

The data office also published final figures for October, which showed 2,108 corporate insolvencies, or 4.8% more than a year before. Creditors' claims amounted to €2.6 billion ($3 billion), compared with €3.8 billion in October 2024.

Companies in transport, hospitality and construction were particularly affected.