Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

In the second quarter of 2024, the number of bankruptcy declarations by EU companies increased by 3.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
At the same time, company registrations decreased by 2.1% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
This information comes from company registrations and bankruptcies data published by Eurostat in Brussels.
Company registrations decreased in all sectors
The data shows that the number of company registrations decreased in all sectors of the economy. Compared to the previous quarter, the highest declines in the second quarter of 2024 were in trade (-4.7%), industry (-3.6%) and education and social activities (-3.4%). The smallest decline was recorded in financial activities (-0.7%).
Different trends across sectors of the economy for bankruptcy
While the overall number of bankruptcy declarations increased, individual sectors of the economy behaved differently. Compared to the previous quarter, in the second quarter of 2024, bankruptcies decreased in 4 sectors: information and communications (-4.8%), transport (-1.6%), accommodation and food services (-1.1%), education and social activities (-1.0%). On the other hand, bankruptcy declarations increased in 4 other sectors: construction (+3.8%), financial activities (+2.6%), trade (+2.4%) and industry (+1.6%).