Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Courts in the Czech Republic declared bankruptcy for 751 companies in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 9% and the highest annual total since 2017. Over the same period, 1,164 insolvency petitions were filed, up 8% compared with the previous year, according to an analysis by CRIF – Czech Credit Bureau, based on data from the Information about Companies portal.
The number of corporate bankruptcies has now risen for the third consecutive year. At the same time, business formation activity also increased in 2025, with the number of newly established companies growing by more than 10% year on year. The number of companies leaving the market also rose, although at a slower pace than new formations, according to CRIF analyst Věra Kameníčková.
Financial indicators for companies showed mixed trends during the year. Growth in corporate lending slowed towards the end of 2025, while the volume of company deposits remained broadly stable and continued to exceed the level of corporate loans. Payment discipline improved slightly, with the share of non-performing loans in total corporate borrowing declining. However, Kameníčková noted that insolvency trends varied considerably by sector and region, both in terms of growth dynamics and overall bankruptcy rates.
In the final months of 2025, the gap widened between the number of insolvency petitions filed and the number of bankruptcies declared. This suggests that courts may have dismissed a growing number of petitions due to insufficient debtor assets. On average, 17 corporate bankruptcies were declared per 10,000 active companies nationwide, corresponding to a bankruptcy rate of 0.17%.
As in previous years, the highest number of corporate bankruptcies was recorded in Prague, where courts declared 340 cases. The second-highest total was reported in the South Moravian Region. Year-on-year increases in bankruptcies were observed in eight of the country’s 14 regions. The most pronounced rise occurred in the Pilsen Region, where bankruptcies increased by 64%. By contrast, the number of bankruptcies declined in the South Bohemian Region by 29%, and by 17% in both the Karlovy Vary and Zlín regions.
Sectoral data show that bankruptcies rose most sharply in information and communication activities, where the number increased by 46% year on year. Construction recorded a 25% increase, while wholesale and retail trade, including vehicle repair and maintenance, saw a rise of 14%.
In relative terms, the highest bankruptcy rate in 2025 was recorded in the water supply sector, with 26 bankruptcies per 10,000 registered entities. Transport and storage followed with 21 bankruptcies per 10,000 companies, while construction and manufacturing each recorded 18. The lowest relative risk of bankruptcy was observed in information and communication activities, with seven bankruptcies per 10,000 companies, followed by professional, scientific and technical activities with eight.
Source: CTK
