The wave of insolvencies continues: 19 bankruptcies every day in Austria!

The wave of insolvencies continues: 19 bankruptcies every day in Austria!

In the first half of 2025, the number of corporate bankruptcies in Austria rose sharply. Loud oe24.at 3,500 companies have already had to file for bankruptcy, an increase of over 6% compared to the previous year. On average, this means 19 bankruptcies per day. The retail, construction and catering sectors, which together account for almost 45% of all insolvencies, are particularly affected.

The current insolvency situation is accompanied by a decline in provisional liabilities, which have fallen by 56.8% to around 4.8 billion euros. This is primarily due to a decline in major insolvencies with liabilities over 500 million euros. The largest bankruptcy to date in 2025 is Herkules Holding GmbH, part of the Signa Group, with an insolvency volume of 710 million euros. In the real estate and housing sector, on the other hand, companies have the highest liabilities with a total of 1.35 billion euros.

Industries in focus

A detailed analysis of the insolvencies shows that 599 cases were registered in the commercial sector, followed by the construction industry with 552 and the catering/accommodation sector with 422 insolvencies. The press reports that KSV1870 expects around 6,500 to 7,000 bankruptcies for the year as a whole, similar to the previous year, and sees no signs of a decline in the high number of bankruptcies. In the first quarter of 2025, 1,741 bankruptcies were counted, an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year.

What is particularly notable is the increase in bankruptcies in the real estate and housing sector, which increased by almost 62% in the first quarter. While the catering and construction industries are experiencing declines of 11% and 12%, the numbers remain tense. In the first quarter, 12 major bankruptcies involving 10 million euros in liabilities were also registered, which is six fewer than in the previous year.

Criteria and trends

In a further outlook on the situation, KSV insolvency expert Karl-Heinz Götze notes that companies can hardly calm down in the international omnicrisis. It should be noted that only 43% of companies rate their business situation as positive. Geopolitical uncertainties, high energy prices and increased personnel costs continue to weigh on the economic situation. In this context, experts expect a slow recovery, while the overall situation remains tense. The number of personal bankruptcies in Austria has fallen by 8.7%, however report Business News of significant declines in various federal states, especially in Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria.

In summary, it can be said that the Austrian economy will also be under considerable pressure in 2025. While some sectors may be showing initial signs of recovery, the need for economic policy stimulus remains essential for a sustained improvement in the situation.