BRUSSELS, 17th August, 2026 (WAM) -- In the second quarter of 2026, registrations of businesses in the EU decreased by 0.5% compared with the first quarter of 2026, while bankruptcies increased by 5.7%.
This information comes from data on business registrations and bankruptcies published by Eurostat today.
In the second quarter of 2026, business registrations decreased in 5 out of 8 sectors of the business economy. Industry registered the largest drop (-3.6%), followed by accommodation and food services (-3.4%) and education and social services (-3.2%). The number of business registrations increased sharply in the information and communication sector (+8.8%), and an increase was also recorded in the construction sector (+1.0%), while financial services remained stable (+0.0%).
Bankruptcies increased in 5 out of 8 sectors. The largest increases were recorded in education and social activities (+21.1%), transport (+11.4%) and financial services (+6.8%). Decreases in bankruptcies were recorded in the accommodation and food services (-2.6%), construction (-1.7%) and trade (-1.2%).