Total Company Insolvencies in 2025 Hold Steady as Compulsory Liquidations Rise

In 2025, the total number of company insolvencies registered held fairly steady in comparison with the previous year at 23,938.

While the total number of company insolvencies in 2025 was similar to 2024, the number of compulsory liquidations reached 3,730 – its highest since 2012.

Furthermore, the past four years have seen the highest four numbers of creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs) since 1960 – reaching 18,525.

In 2025 administrations saw a decrease of 6% from 2024 to 1,495 and company voluntary arrangements (CVA) numbers decreased by 8% to 186 from those in 2024.

One in 190 companies on the Companies House register (at a rate of 52.5 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency in 2025, the same as in 2024.

The 2025 insolvency rate is much lower than the peak of 113.1 per 10,000 companies seen during the 2008-09 recession, even though 2024 and 2025 saw similar numbers of insolvencies to 2008 and 2009. This is because the number of companies on the register has more than doubled.

December 2025 Insolvencies

The number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 1,671 in December 2025, 10% lower than in November 2025 (1,850) and 13% lower than the same month in the previous year (1,919 in December 2024).

Company insolvencies in December 2025 consisted of 245 compulsory liquidations, 1,305 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 106 administrations and 15 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). There were no receivership appointments.

The number of compulsory liquidations was 34% lower than the 10-year high seen in April 2025, and was lower than both December 2024 and the 2025 monthly average.

The number of CVLs in December 2025 was lower than both November 2025 and the 2025 monthly average, with December 2025 recording the lowest number of CVLs since August 2021. Administrations and CVAs were also lower than in November 2025.

>> Read more about insolvencies in the news