number of bankruptcies continues to fall

According to Statistics Netherlands, the number of bankruptcies of businesses and institutions corrected for the number of court session days in June 2015 was down 35 from May. There has been a continuing downward trend in number of bankruptcies.

Downward trend

As the number of businesses declared bankrupt in a particular month is closely related to the number of days that courts are in session, there may be considerable variation from one month to the next. Therefore, the range corrected for number of court session days is a more reliable indicator. In June 2015, this number reached the lowest level since January 2009. There has been a continuing downward trend since the summer of 2013.

Most bankruptcies in the trade sector

In June this year, 472 businesses and institutions (excluding one-man businesses) were declared bankrupt. As a result, the total number of bankruptcies in the first half of 2015 was 2,908 or 16 percent less than the same period one year previously.

With a total of 100, most bankruptcies in June were filed in the trade sector. For financial institutions, the number was 73. In any case, the number of businesses is highest in the sectors trade and financial services. In relative terms, however, the highest bankruptcy rates in June were seen in the sectors construction (52), rental and other business services (32) and transport and storage (19).

For more information on economic indicators, see the Economic Monitor.