# Dutch bankruptcies up 16 per cent in September as 320 firms fail

> Statistics Netherlands says 44 more businesses were declared bankrupt than a year earlier, with transport and storage hit hardest relative to its size.

Economy · published 2026-10-12 06:11 · https://nlnow.nl/a/dutch-bankruptcies-up-16-percent-in-september-as-320-firms-fail/

In September 2026, 320 businesses were declared bankrupt, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. That is 44 more than a year earlier, a rise of 16 per cent, and 16 more than in August.

The bankruptcy rate was 8.5 per 100,000 businesses, up from 7.5 in September 2025. Since mid-2025 the rate has hovered around 7 to 8.

**The bankruptcy rate rose to 8.5 in September 2026** (bankruptcies per 100,000 businesses; source: CBS, corrected for court sitting days)

- Sep 2025: 7.5
- Oct 2025: 6.8
- Nov 2025: 8.3
- Dec 2025: 7.1
- Jan 2026: 7.5
- Feb 2026: 8.3
- Mar 2026: 8.1
- Apr 2026: 7.8
- May 2026: 7.7
- Jun 2026: 8.1
- Jul 2026: 7.1
- Aug 2026: 8.1
- Sep 2026: 8.5

The rate has been calculated since 2015. It peaked at 24.8 in March 2015 and hit a low of 3.4 in August 2021. It then rose until 2024, stabilised and eased slightly in 2025.

## Transport up, hospitality down

Relative to the number of firms, transport and storage had the most bankruptcies in September: 37.8 per 100,000 firms, against 25.3 a year earlier. Industry followed at 37.3 (19.6 a year earlier) and construction at 22.5 (13.4).

Hospitality (horeca) saw the biggest change of any sector, but a drop: from 46.7 to 25.2 per 100,000 firms.

**Industry and construction bankruptcy rates rose sharply while hospitality fell** (bankruptcies per 100,000 businesses; source: CBS, not corrected for court sitting days)

- Transport and storage: 25.3 to 37.8
- Industry: 19.6 to 37.3
- Hospitality: 46.7 to 25.2
- Construction: 13.4 to 22.5
- Trade: 15.4 to 15.9
- Rental and other business services: 15.1 to 13.5
- Information and communication: 8.8 to 8.2
- Real estate: 3.9 to 7.1
- Financial institutions: 5.5 to 5.5
- Specialist business services: 5.1 to 5
- Agriculture and fishing: 3.5 to 2.3
- Culture, sport and recreation: 2.3 to 2.3
- Other services: 0.5 to 1.9

The sector figures are not corrected for court sitting days. On that basis the overall rate was 9.7 in September 2026, against 8.5 a year earlier.

## Background

- **CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek)**: Statistics Netherlands, the independent government body that produces the official statistics on the Dutch economy and society.

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