307 Dutch firms bankrupt in November, 46 fewer than last year but 36% more than October
In November 2025, 307 Dutch companies were declared bankrupt, marking a decrease of 46 firms compared to the same month last year, the CBS reported Friday. Despite the overall drop, the number of bankruptcies rose 21 percent compared with October.
The CBS also noted that the bankruptcy rate—the number of bankruptcies per 100,000 companies—fell from 9.7 in November 2024 to 8.3 in November 2025. “This provides a clearer picture of the development of bankruptcies in the Netherlands,” a CBS spokesperson said.
The transport and storage sector experienced the highest relative number of bankruptcies. In November, 25.1 companies per 100,000 in this sector went bankrupt, more than double the 11.9 per 100,000 recorded in November 2024.
The overall decline contrasts with early 2025 economic forecasts that predicted a rise in insolvencies. Rabobank had warned of a potential bankruptcy wave peaking in 2027, citing higher energy and labor costs, repayments of COVID-19 support, and macroeconomic uncertainties.
Hugo Erken, head of Dutch economics at Rabobank, said in July that many companies managed to repay debts, though voluntary company closures have risen.
The CBS reported that company closures without bankruptcy are increasingly common. In 2024, 153,000 businesses were voluntarily dissolved, a 27 percent increase from 2023. In the first three quarters of 2025, voluntary closures were already 12 percent higher than in the same period in 2024.
“It is unclear why entrepreneurs choose to dissolve companies without declaring bankruptcy,” a CBS spokesperson said.
