High energy prices, bureaucracy, and taxes are said to be key factors behind the increase in filings
RT: FILE PHOTO. © Global Look Press / CHROMORANGE / Bilderbox
The
number of bankruptcies in Germany is alarmingly high and continues to
grow, the country’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), has warned.
It urged Berlin on Monday to take urgent measures to remedy the
situation and tackle high energy prices.
The statement came as the
government statistical office published new figures on bankruptcy
requests dating back to October 2025. According to its data, the number
of corporate requests grew by almost 5% year-on-year and reached 2,108
at the time.
The transport and storage sectors were the most
affected, the statistical office said, adding that hospitality and
construction suffered as well. The number of people who filed for
bankruptcy grew by 7.6% year-on-year and reached 6,709, according to the
office’s data.
According to the DIHK, the nation experienced the
highest number of bankruptcy cases in 11 years. The association said it
expects the total number of corporate bankruptcies to surpass 23,000 in
2025, listing energy prices, bureaucracy, and taxes as the key factors
behind the trend.
The DIHK went on to accuse the government of not doing enough to address the issue. “There is no shortage of political papers with good proposals – much is written, but far too little is implemented,” it said in a statement on Monday.
The
German economy was dealt a major blow when the country took part in the
Western sanctions on Russia in 2022. Before the escalation of the
Ukraine conflict, Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its natural gas.
Russian oil giant Rosneft’s operations also accounted for around 12% of
the nation’s total oil-processing capacity, according to Bloomberg.
The
decision to abandon cheap Russian energy imports played a major role in
slowing down the economy, which contracted in 2023 and 2024 – the first
back-to-back annual drop since the early 2000s. Bild reported in
October 2025 that electricity and gas went up by 14% and 74%
respectively from 2022 to 2025.