The accompanying file contains the underlying data for the Company Insolvency Statistics April 2024. It matches the record-level data provided alongside this publication, but also contains data for 2012 and 2013. It is based on data from Insolvency Service administrative systems for compulsory liquidations in England and Wales, and on Companies House data for all other insolvencies. In addition to the dataset, there is a metadata file to explain what each column contains. This data is provided for statistical purposes only. We can not guarantee that it is free from error and therefore should not be used to determine whether a particular company is insolvent.

Main messages for England and Wales

• After seasonal adjustment, the number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 2,035 in February 2025, 3% higher than in January 2025 (1,978) but 7% lower than the same month in the previous year (2,188 in February 2024). Company insolvencies over the past year have been slightly lower than in 2023, which saw a 30-year high annual number, but have remained high relative to historical levels.

• Company insolvencies in February 2025 consisted of 393 compulsory liquidations, 1,520 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 115 administrations and 7 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). There were no receivership appointments. Compulsory liquidations were higher than in January 2025, while CVLs, administrations and CVAs were lower. The (seasonally adjusted) number of compulsory liquidations in February 2025 was the highest monthly number since September 2014.

• One in 191 companies on the Companies House effective register (at a rate of 52.4 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency between 1 March 2024 and 28 February 2025. This was a decrease from the 57.6 per 10,000 companies that entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 29 February 2024. Insolvency rates are calculated on a 12-month rolling basis as a proportion of the total number of companies on the effective register. The 12-month rolling rates show longer term trends and reduce the volatility associated with estimates based on single months.

• While the insolvency rate has increased since the lows seen in 2020 and 2021, it remains much lower than the peak of 113.1 per 10,000 companies seen during the 2008-09 recession. This is because the number of companies on the effective register has more than doubled over this period.

Main messages for England and Wales

• After seasonal adjustment, the number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales in March 2024 was 1,815, 17% lower than in February 2024 (2,177) and 17% lower than the same month in the previous year (2,193 in March 2023). However, numbers of company insolvencies remained much higher than those seen both during the COVID-19 pandemic and between 2014 and 2019.

• Company insolvencies in March 2024 consisted of 261 compulsory liquidations, 1,437 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 108 administrations and 9 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). Numbers of all types of company insolvency were lower than in both March 2023 and February 2024.

• One in 179 companies on the Companies House effective register (at a rate of 55.8 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. This was an increase from the 53.5 per 10,000 companies that entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 31 March 2023. These 12-month rolling rates are calculated as a proportion of the total number of companies on the effective register to show longer term trends and reduce the volatility that would be associated with estimates based on single months.

• While the insolvency rate has increased since the lows seen in 2020 and 2021, it remains much lower than the peak of 113.1 per 10,000 companies seen during the 2008-09 recession. This is because the number of companies on the effective register has more than doubled over this period.

The number of registered company insolvencies in October 2021 was 1,405:

• 63% higher than the number registered in the same month in the previous year (864 in October 2020), but
• 5% lower than the number registered two years previously (pre-pandemic; 1,480 in October 2019).

In October 2021 there were 1,248 Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs), which is slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels. The number of registered company insolvencies was similar to pre-pandemic levels, driven by this higher number of CVLs, although other types of company insolvencies, such as compulsory liquidations, remained lower.

For individuals, 601 bankruptcies were registered, which was 44% lower than October 2020 and 57% lower than October 2019. The number of bankruptcies was the lowest monthly number since the start of the time series in January 2019.

There were 1,937 Debt Relief Orders (DROs) in October 2021. Following "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-help-vulnerable-people-in-problem-debt" class="govuk-link">changes to the eligibility criteria on 29 June 2021 including an increase in the level of debt at which people can apply for a DRO from £20,000 to £30,000, DRO numbers were higher between July and October 2021 than in previous months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of DROs registered in October 2021 was 23% higher than October 2020 but remained lower than pre-pandemic levels (23% lower than in October 2019).

There were, on average, 7,031 IVAs registered per month in the three-month period ending October 2021, which is 14% higher than the three-month period ending October 2020 and 4% higher than the three-month period ending October 2019.

Note that the IVA series is historically volatile as it is based on date of registration at the Insolvency Service (see the Methodology and data quality section for more information).

Between the launch of the Breathing Space scheme on 4 May 2021, and 31 October 2021, there were 32,082 registrations, comprised of 31,651 Standard breathing space registrations and 431 Mental Health breathing space registrations.

The number of registered company insolvencies in April 2022 was 1,991:

• More than double the number registered in the same month in the previous year (925 in April 2021), and
• 39% higher than the number registered three years previously (pre-pandemic; 1,429 in April 2019).

In April 2022 there were 1,777 Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs), more than double the number in April 2021 and 74% higher than April 2019. Numbers for other types of company insolvencies, such as compulsory liquidations, remained lower than before the pandemic, although there were three times as many compulsory liquidations in April 2022 compared to April 2021, and the number of administrations was 51% higher than a year ago.

For individuals, 530 bankruptcies were registered, which was 36% lower than in April 2021 and 64% lower than April 2019.

There were 1,708 Debt Relief Orders (DROs) in April 2022, which was 20% higher than in April 2021 and 29% lower than the pre-pandemic comparison month (April 2019). This increase is linked to "https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-help-vulnerable-people-in-problem-debt" class="govuk-link">changes to the eligibility criteria on 29 June 2021 including an increase in the level of debt at which people can apply for a DRO from £20,000 to £30,000.

There were, on average, 7,516 IVAs registered per month in the three-month period ending April 2022, which is 10% higher than the three-month period ending April 2021, and 22% higher than the three-month period ending April 2019. IVA numbers have ranged from around 6,300 to 7,500 per month over the past year.

Between the launch of the Breathing Space scheme on 4 May 2021, and 30 April 2022, there were 63,856 registrations, comprised of 62,843 Standard breathing space registrations and 1,013 Mental Health breathing space registrations.

This statistics release contains the latest data on monthly company and individual insolvency (companies and individual people who are unable to pay debts and enter formal procedures).

Statistics are presented separately for England and Wales , Scotland and for Northern Ireland in this release.

Main messages

Company insolvencies

• There were 1,228 company insolvencies in December 2020.

Individual insolvencies

• There were 1,241 debt relief orders and 807 bankruptcies in December 2020.
• There were an average of 7,918 individual voluntary arrangements registered in the 3 months ending December 2020.

• After seasonal adjustment, the number of individual insolvencies in July to September (Q3) 2022 was 5% lower than in Q2 2022. Numbers of individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) and debt relief orders (DROs) were lower, but bankruptcies were slightly higher. However, total individual insolvencies were 2% higher than in Q3 2021.
• One in 405 adults (at a rate of 24.7 per 10,000 adults) entered insolvency between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022. This is an increase from the 24.0 per 10,000 adults who entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 30 September 2021.
• During Q3 2022, there were 27,927 (seasonally adjusted) individual insolvencies, as shown in Figure 1, comprised of 20,635 IVAs, 5,579 DROs and 1,713 bankruptcies.
• There were 18,347 Breathing Space registrations in Q3 2022. This is 18% higher than in Q3 2021. Of the 18,347 Breathing Space registrations, 18,050 were Standard breathing space registrations and 297 were Mental Health breathing space registrations.

This statistics release contains the latest data on company insolvency (companies which are unable to pay debts and enter liquidation, or enter administration or other company rescue process) .

Statistics are presented separately for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland because of differences in legislation and policy.

Main messages

Company Insolvencies in Q3 2020

Overall numbers of company insolvencies in England and Wales fell in comparison to both the previous quarter and same period last year.

The fall in comparison to Q2 2020 was driven by falls in CVLs; other types of company insolvency increased in Q3 2020 compared with the previous quarter but were still much lower than the same period last year

The reduction in company insolvencies compared to the same quarter last year was likely to be partly driven by Government measures put in place in response to the coronavirus (COVID 19).