12,700 German Companies Went Bankrupt in First Half of 2026

\In the first half of the year, 12,700 companies went bankrupt in Germany. According to the credit bureau Creditreform, the number of bankruptcies has increased by almost 8% compared to 2025. This has not been seen since 2013.

Losses due to corporate bankruptcies in the first half of the year amounted to €28.5 billion. 165,000 jobs were at risk.

A profound structural crisis arose due to sanctions disagreements with Russia amid the Cold War and was further exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East. Observers believe the wave of bankruptcies has not yet peaked.