The number of new company registrations in the EU increased by 4.6% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of the year, when a decline of 5.5% was recorded, according to Eurostat.
During the same period, company bankruptcy declarations rose by 1.7% compared to January–March 2025, when there had been a 0.3% decrease.
Newly registered companies in Q2 2025 increased across all sectors of the economy compared with the previous quarter, except in industry, where no change was reported. The highest growth was recorded in transport (13.1%), information and communications (8.2%), and financial services (5.2%).
Bankruptcy declarations varied across sectors. The number of bankruptcies increased in four sectors and declined in another four. The largest increases were in information and communications (13.6%) and construction (8.1%), while the biggest decreases were in hospitality (–7.5%) and trade (–3.7%).
Among EU member states, the sharpest increases in new company registrations in Q2 2025 compared to Q1 were reported in the Netherlands (57.7%), Spain (27.6%), and Romania (19%). The steepest declines were observed in Denmark (–18.2%), Cyprus (–8.4%), and Germany (–6.2%).
In Bulgaria, new company registrations rose by 7.3% in Q2 2025 compared with a 2.7% decline in Q1. Meanwhile, company bankruptcy declarations increased by 7.7%, following a 5.8% drop in the first quarter.
The strongest increases in bankruptcy declarations in Q2 2025 compared to Q1 were recorded in Latvia (70.7%), Cyprus (66.8%), and Slovakia (20.1%). In contrast, the largest decreases were observed in Estonia (–28.7%), Spain (–8.3%), and Sweden (–8.1%).
