In November, the number of insolvencies fell so low for the first time in three and a half years that it was below the level of the same month last year. However, the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH) reported that this does not yet represent a trend reversal, but rather a pause for breath. According to the IWH insolvency trend, the number of insolvencies in November was 1,293, which is 17 percent fewer than in the previous month and three percent fewer than in November 2024. However, compared to an average November from 2016 to 2019 - i.e. before the coronavirus pandemic - the current figures are still 46 percent higher.
"That's a lot, it's clearly in the red," said Steffen Müller, Head of Insolvency Research at the IWH. While the high insolvency figures of previous years were mainly due to catch-up effects from the pandemic, the persistently high level can now be explained by the weak economic situation and sharp cost increases. The increase in insolvencies this year was broad-based across all sectors, Müller emphasized.
