Insolvency wave in Austria: company bankruptcies rise to record high!

Insolvency wave in Austria: company bankruptcies rise to record high!

In the first quarter of 2025, the number of corporate bankruptcies in Austria experienced a significant increase. According to the information service provider CRIF, 2.004 companies registered bankruptcy, which corresponds to an increase of 8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024 when 1,856 insolvencies were registered. The forecasts for the entire year 2025 indicate that the number of company insolvencies could possibly achieve up to 8,000, which would present companies with considerable challenges, especially in view of the ongoing economic uncertainties such as high energy prices, increasing wage costs and geopolitical tensions.

The analysis also shows that the decline in industrial production in the euro area is burdening the situation in Austria. The highest number of bankruptcies was recorded in the first quarter in Vienna, where 802 companies registered bankruptcy. In comparison, other federal states reported significantly lower figures: Lower Austria had 335, Upper Austria 236, Styria 176, Salzburg 130, Tirol 129, Carinthia 114, Vorarlberg 44 and Burgenland 38 bankruptcies.

regional differences and insolvency density

The insolvency density in Vienna is highest with 57 bankruptcies per 10,000 companies. On average, this density for all of Austria is 34 bankruptcies each. In contrast, Vorarlberg has the lowest density with 17 bankruptcies each. A remarkable point is the percentage increase in bankruptcies in Tyrol, which has the greatest increase in 76.7%. Salzburg also recorded an increase of 56.6%, while Upper Austria increased by 22.3%. In contrast, there were declines in Burgenland (-29.6%), Styria (-1.1%) and Vienna (-0.5%).

industries in focus

The industries are particularly affected by the bankruptcies, construction and gastronomy, with 384, 315 and 242 bankruptcies. In the current economic situation, the importance of effective risk management and prevention measures for companies is highlighted.

The situation in Austria is not isolated. In 2024, significantly more companies also had to register bankruptcy in Germany, with an increase in the number of bankruptcies by 16.8 percent. Experts fear that 2025 may even be recorded in the company's bankruptcy. While the bankruptcies in Germany approach the level of the 2009 financial crisis, Austria is affected by a similar trend.

According to the forecasts, the number of corporate insolvencies in Germany in 2025 could exceed the highest levels of the crisis, which underlines the seriousness of the current economic challenges. These circumstances are due, among other things, to cost explosions through expensive energy, large bureaucracy and political uncertainties that burden the corporate landscape as a whole. The effects of these developments require intensive rethinking and strategic adjustments in the industries concerned.

For detailed information on the insolvency figures in Austria and Germany, the following links can be visited: , Tagesschau-bankruptcy climb , - Disciples and the economy .