Business failures - France 2019Feb
Published on 04/09/2019
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In January 2019, the number of corporate bankruptcies increased by 0.6% year-on-year
- At the end of January 2019, the aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the last 12 months amounted to 54,371, up by 0.6% compared to January 2018 (see tables A and B and charts 1 and 2).
- Then the aggregate number of bankruptcies slightly increases (+0.6%) while it decreased last month (-1.0%).
Over the past 12 months, the evolution of corporate bankruptcies varies across sectors
- The transportation sector, the advisory and business support activities, and the financial and insurance activities recorded the strongest increases in bankruptcies (+12.6%, +6.7% and +6.7%, respectively). Bankruptcies also increased substantially in other sectors, particularly in the accommodation and food service activities (+2.1%), and in the industry (+1.4%).
- However, over the same period, corporate bankruptcies decreased in some sectors, in particular in the agriculture (-4.7%), information and communication (-3.2%), wholesale and retail trade (-1.7%) and construction (-1.7%) sectors.
In January 2019, bankruptcies increased essentially for SMEs
- Bankruptcies increased for SMEs (+0.6%). However, they decreased for Intermediate-sized enterprises (ISEs) and Large firms ( 4 bankruptcies over 12 months see table B).
The outstanding loan amount of firms filing for bankruptcy over the past 12 months accounts, at the end of January, for more than 0.3% of the total outstanding loan amount reported to the Banque de France's Central Credit Register.
The aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies increased by 0.8% at the end of February 2019, according to provisional data (see tables A and B and chart 2).
The aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies increased by 0.8% at the end of February 2019, according to provisional data (see tables A and B and chart 2).
To find out more: data on business start-ups are reported by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE): Business start-ups on the INSEE's website
A - Corporate bankruptcies by sector![]()
Bankruptcies in number of legal units, year on year change (%)
| Aggregate over the last 12 months (a) (gross data) | Quater to quater sa/wda (bc) | Monthly data sa / wda (c) | |||||||
| Jan.18 | Jan.19 | Jan.19/ Jan.18 |
Feb.19 prov. | Feb. 19/ Feb. 18 |
Jan.19 | Nov.18 | Dec.18 | Jan.19 | |
| Business sector | |||||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing (AZ) | 1,498 | 1,427 | -4.7% | 1,411 | -6.3% | -10.2% | 89 | 137 | 115 |
| Industry (BE) | 3,844 | 3,899 | 1.4% | 3,899 | 2.3% | -9.8% | 277 | 378 | 313 |
| Construction (FZ) | 12,061 | 11,861 | -1.7% | 11,723 | -1.9% | -5.9% | 950 | 1,020 | 999 |
| Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (g) | 11,853 | 11,657 | -1.7% | 11,607 | -1.6% | -3.5% | 924 | 1,007 | 967 |
| Transportation and storage (H) | 1,831 | 2,061 | 12.6% | 2,087 | 12.3% | 4.9% | 188 | 177 | 176 |
| Accommodation and food service activities (I) | 7,219 | 7,371 | 2.1% | 7,399 | 4.0% | -6.9% | 546 | 649 | 642 |
| Information and communication (JZ) | 1,358 | 1,314 | -3.2% | 1,296 | -5.5% | 4.1% | 111 | 112 | 104 |
| Financial and insurance activities (KZ) | 1,033 | 1,102 | 6.7% | 1,109 | 8.0% | 11.9% | 99 | 105 | 94 |
| Real estate activities (LZ) | 1,708 | 1,694 | -0.8% | 1,664 | -4.0% | -5.5% | 121 | 142 | 140 |
| Advisory & Business support activities (MN) | 5,751 | 6,136 | 6.7% | 6,144 | 6.8% | -17.8% | 504 | 516 | 472 |
| Education, human health and social work services, Arts, entertainment and recreation, Other service activities (P to S) | 5,383 | 5,410 | 0.5% | 5,446 | 1.5% | -3.0% | 395 | 483 | 478 |
| All firms (d) | 54,032 | 54,371 | 0.6% | 54,220 | 0.8% | -6.5% | 4,270 | 4,598 | 4,551 |
Source: Banque de France - database: Fiben. Data available at end-March 2019
Calculation : Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year ago
b Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 3 months compared to the same aggregate three months ago
c sa : seasonally adjusted - wda : working day adjusted
d The line « All firms » includes legal units whose business sector is not known
Calculation : Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year ago
b Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 3 months compared to the same aggregate three months ago
c sa : seasonally adjusted - wda : working day adjusted
d The line « All firms » includes legal units whose business sector is not known
B - Corporate bankruptcies by firm size![]()
Bankruptcies in number of legal units, year on year change (%)
| Aggregate over the last 12 months (a) (gross data) | Quarter to quarter sa/wda (bc) | Monthly data sa / wda (c) | |||||||
| Jan.18 | Jan.19 | Jan.19/ Jan.18 |
Feb. 19 prov. | Feb.19/ Feb.18 |
Jan.19 | Nov.18 | Dec.18 | Jan.19 | |
| Size | |||||||||
| SME, among them | 53,987 | 54,330 | 0.6% | 54,183 | 0.9% | -6.5% | 4,271 | 4,596 | 4,547 |
| Micro-enterprises and unknown firm's size | 50,755 | 50,964 | 0.4% | 50,895 | 1.0% | -7.4% | 3,981 | 4,307 | 4,247 |
| Very small firms | 2,024 | 2,074 | 2.5% | 2,007 | -3.3% | -0.8% | 158 | 182 | 175 |
| Small firms | 925 | 969 | 4.8% | 965 | 3.0% | 14.1% | 93 | 75 | 101 |
| Medium-size firms | 283 | 323 | 14.1% | 316 | 8.2% | 25.5% | 30 | 27 | 37 |
| ISE - Large Firms | 45 | 41 | -8.9% | 37 | -24.5% | ||||
| All firms | 54,032 | 54,371 | 0.6% | 54,220 | 0.8% | -6.5% | 4,270 | 4,598 | 4,551 |
Source: Banque de France - database: Fiben. Data available at end- March 2019
Calculation : Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year ago
b Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 3 months compared to the same aggregate three months ago
c sa : seasonally adjusted - wda : working day adjusted
Calculation : Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year ago
b Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over the past 3 months compared to the same aggregate three months ago
c sa : seasonally adjusted - wda : working day adjusted
C - Changes in corporate bankruptcies![]()
1 - Number of bankruptcies
Aggregate number of bankruptcies over the past 12 months
From Dec. 1991 to January 2019
Aggregate number of bankruptcies over the past 12 months
From Dec. 1991 to January 2019
2 - Change in bankruptcies
Year-on-year change in the 12-month aggregate
From Dec. 1991 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
Year-on-year change in the 12-month aggregate
From Dec. 1991 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
3 - Loan amounts of bankrupt non-Financial firms over loan amount
of all firmsAggregate over the past 12 months
From Dec. 2006 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
of all firmsAggregate over the past 12 months
From Dec. 2006 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
4 - Loan amounts of bankrupt non-financial firms over loan amount of all firms - broken down by firm size
Aggregate over the past 12 months From Dec. 2006 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
Aggregate over the past 12 months From Dec. 2006 to January 2019 (+ February 2019 provisional)
(in %)
Source: Banque de France, Companies Directorate, Data available at end-March 2019
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Business failures - France
- Published on 04/09/2019
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Published on Tuesday, April 9, 2019