Business failures - France - 2026-05
Published on 3rd of July 2026
At the end of May, the number of corporate bankruptcies has stabilised
- At the end of May 2026, the number of corporate bankruptcies fell slightly, to a total of 70,077 over the past twelve months (see Figure 1), compared with 70,257 in April (based on revised figures ).
- By sector, this decline is mainly driven by the fall in the number of corporate bankruptcies in the construction and transport and storage sectors. By size, it is driven, in terms of volume, by the fall in insolvencies amongst micro-enterprises. The number of insolvencies remains broadly stable in other sectors of activity and for most company sizes (see Table A and B).
- The level of corporate bankruptcies, which remains high, can be partly explained by the deteriorating economic climate, due in particular to successive shocks and increased uncertainties that have weakened the financial position of certain companies.
- It also comes at a time when the corporate population is growing. According to INSEE, more than 1.2 million enterprises were created at the end of May 2026 over a sliding 12-month period, up 10.0% compared with the cumulative 12 months to the end of May 2025.
To find out more: data on business start-ups are reported by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE): Business births on the INSEE's website
(1) As a reminder, the data is revised on a monthly basis, with judgement records that August be communicated at a later date.
(1) As a reminder, the data is revised on a monthly basis, with judgement records that August be communicated at a later date.
A - Corporate bankruptcies by sector![]()
Bankruptcies in number of legal units, year-on-year change (%)
| Aggregate over previous 12 months (a) (raw data) | ||||||||
| Mean 2010-2019 | Apr. 26 | Apr. 26/Apr. 25 | Apr. 26/2010-2019 | May 25 | May 26 | May 26/May 25 | May 26/2010-2019 | |
| Business sector | ||||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing (AZ) | 1,359 | 1,751 | 17.9% | 28.8% | 1,498 | 1,792 | 19.6% | 31.9% |
| Industry (BE) | 4,442 | 4,465 | 4.3% | 0.5% | 4,290 | 4,443 | 3.6% | 0.0% |
| Construction (FZ) | 14,684 | 14,601 | -1.9% | -0.6% | 14,840 | 14,368 | -3.2% | -2.2% |
| Wholesale and retail trade repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (G) | 13,071 | 13,959 | 0.7% | 6.8% | 13,780 | 13,940 | 1.2% | 6.6% |
| Transportation and storage (H) | 1,902 | 3,293 | 8.5% | 73.1% | 3,104 | 3,227 | 4.0% | 69.7% |
| Accommodation and food service activities (I) | 7,374 | 9,509 | 7.0% | 29.0% | 8,935 | 9,553 | 6.9% | 29.5% |
| Information and communication (JZ) | 1,480 | 2,129 | 1.9% | 43.9% | 2,089 | 2,127 | 1.8% | 43.7% |
| Financial and insurance activities (KZ) | 1,150 | 1,697 | 2.4% | 47.6% | 1,640 | 1,695 | 3.4% | 47.4% |
| Real estate activities (LZ) | 1,984 | 2,606 | 3.9% | 31.4% | 2,482 | 2,620 | 5.6% | 32.1% |
| Advisory & Business support activities (MN) | 6,379 | 8,932 | 9.4% | 40.0% | 8,198 | 8,974 | 9.5% | 40.7% |
| Education, human health and social work services, Arts, entertainment and recreation, Other service activities (P to S) | 5,311 | 7,147 | 16.4% | 34.6% | 6,188 | 7,168 | 15.8% | 35.0% |
| All firms (b) | 59,342 | 70,257 | 4.7% | 18.4% | 67,152 | 70,077 | 4.4% | 18.1% |
Source: Banque de France - database: Fiben. Data available at the end of June 2026.
Calculation: Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory.
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over previous 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year before and with the 2010-2019 mean.
b 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 previous 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year before and with the 2010-2019 mean.
b 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 previous 12 months (a) (raw data) | ||||||||
| Mean 2010-2019 | Apr. 26 | Apr. 26/Apr. 25 | Apr. 26/2010-2019 | May 25 | May 26 | May 26/May 25 | May 26/2010-2019 | |
| Size | ||||||||
| SME, among them | 59,309 | 70,186 | 4.7% | 18.3% | 67,094 | 70,010 | 4.3% | 18.0% |
| Micro-enterprises and unknown firm's size | 56,059 | 64,676 | 4.4% | 15.4% | 61,955 | 64,488 | 4.1% | 15.0% |
| Very small firms | 2,011 | 3,467 | 9.0% | 72.4% | 3,202 | 3,472 | 8.4% | 72.7% |
| Small firms | 910 | 1,515 | 4.9% | 66.5% | 1,432 | 1,526 | 6.6% | 67.7% |
| Medium-size firms | 329 | 528 | 6.5% | 60.5% | 505 | 524 | 3.8% | 59.3% |
| ISE - Large Firms | 33 | 71 | 20.3% | 115.2% | 58 | 67 | 15.5% | 103.0% |
| All firms | 59,342 | 70,257 | 4.7% | 18.4% | 67,152 | 70,077 | 4.4% | 18.1% |
Source: Banque de France - database: Fiben. Data available at the end of June 2026.
Calculation: Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory.
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over previous 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year before and with the 2010-2019 mean.
Calculation: Banque de France - Companies Directorate - Companies Observatory.
a Aggregate number of corporate bankruptcies over previous 12 months compared to the same aggregate one year before and with the 2010-2019 mean.
C - Changes in corporate bankruptcies![]()
1 - Number of bankruptcies
Cumulated over previous 12 months
From Dec. 1991 to May 2026
Cumulated over previous 12 months
From Dec. 1991 to May 2026
Note: The orange line represents the average value of the number of corporate bankruptcies over twelve months observed monthly between January 2010 and December 2019.
2 - Change in number of bankruptcies
Annual year-on-year change
From Dec. 2006 to May 2026
(in %)
Annual year-on-year change
From Dec. 2006 to May 2026
(in %)
3 - Monthly number of bankruptcies
Mean 2010-2019, Mean 2020-2022
and from Jan. 2023 to May 2026
Mean 2010-2019, Mean 2020-2022
and from Jan. 2023 to May 2026
4 - Loan amounts of bankrupt non-financial firms over loan amount of all firms - by firm size
Cumulated over previous 12 months
From Dec. 2006 to May 2026
(in %)
Cumulated over previous 12 months
From Dec. 2006 to May 2026
(in %)
Note: the sharp rise in the weighting of outstanding loans in the Very small businesses category between April 2024 and March 2025 reversed in April 2025 due to the removal of a legal unit bankrupted in April 2024, and classified in this category due to a low number of employees.
Source: Banque de France - database: Fiben. Data available at the end of June 2026.
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Updated on the 3rd of July 2026