Belgium recorded 991 bankruptcies last month, 7.37% more than in April 2024 and a record high for the month.
The number of bankruptcies rose in both Flanders, with 522 cases (+ 4.61%), and Brussels/Capital Region, with 188 cases (+ 18.24%). However, Wallonia experienced a slight decrease, with 256 bankruptcies (- 1.16%).
During the first four months of the year, 3,987 bankruptcies were registered in Belgium, reflecting a 2.65% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2024 and the highest number since 2013. In Flanders, 2,237 businesses closed down (+ 1.54%), while 933 went bankrupt in Wallonia (- 5.38%), and 720 in Brussels/Capital Region (+9.76% ), marking the highest number since 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The businesses going bankrupt since the start of the year tend to be older than in 2024 and 2023: just one in three (30.05%) had existed for less than five years, while over one in three (34.04%) had been operating for five to nine years. Data analytics company GraydonCreditsafe attributes these failures to companies established just before the pandemic that struggled with subsequent challenges such as energy crises, rising wages, and inflation shocks.
The construction sector remains the hardest hit with 927 bankruptcies during the first four months of 2025, a 10.36% increase, followed by the transport with 237 bankruptcies, up by 13.62%.
Finally, the bankruptcies declared in April and during the first four months of the year affected 2,252 and 9,115 direct jobs respectively.
