Company bankruptcies rise by almost 20 percent in the first three quarters

There have been significantly more bankruptcies in Switzerland this year. The construction, catering and retail sectors in particular have suffered.

Company bankruptcies climbed by 19.5 percent from January to September compared to the same period last year, as the economic information service Crif reported on Thursday. Specifically, 8,387 companies went bankrupt in the first nine months of the year.

According to Crif, most of the bankruptcies were in the construction industry (1192 cases), followed by the catering trade (872) and retail trade (606). One reason for the increase is a change in the law. Since January 1, 2025, the tax debts of companies in the commercial register can also be claimed in bankruptcy proceedings. Previously, it was only possible for the tax authorities to collect outstanding taxes by seizure.

At the same time, the number of company formations remains at a high level: between January and September 2025, a total of 40,867 new companies were entered in the commercial register. An increase of 4.3 percent compared to the previous year.

By sector, the retail trade (3287 start-ups), management consultancy (3273) and the real estate sector (2920) led the field of new start-ups.