Eurostat data shows that across the EU, the number of new business registrations fell in all sectors of the economy. Compared to the previous quarter, the largest declines in the second quarter of 2024 were recorded in trade (-4.7%), industry (-3.6%) and education and social activities (-3.4%). The smallest decline was recorded in financial activities (-0.7%).
While the overall number of bankruptcies increased, individual sectors of the economy behaved differently. In Q2 2024, the number of bankruptcies decreased in four sectors. There were fewer bankrupt companies in the information and communication sector (-4.8%), in transport (-1.6%), in the hotel and catering industry (-1.1%) and in education and social activities (-1.0%).
Whereas There were more bankruptcies than in the previous quarter in construction (+3.8%), financial activities (+2.6%), trade (+2.4%) and industry (+1.6%).
Number of bankruptcies in EU countries
The largest increase in the number of company bankruptcies was recorded in Lithuania. In the second quarter of 2024, the number of declared bankruptcies of Lithuanian companies increased by 16.7 percent compared to the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, the largest decrease in the number of bankrupt companies was recorded in Latvia, where there were 21.4 percent fewer bankruptcies than in the previous quarter.
Poland was among the countries where the number of bankruptcies decreased in the second quarter. In the second quarter of 2024, compared to the first three months of this year, There were 0.8 percent fewer bankruptcies in Poland.
Number of new company registrations in EU countries
In the case of new company registrations, the largest increase was recorded in Portugal (7.6%) and the largest decrease in Italy (-6.8%).
In Poland, as in most of the Community countries, the number of new business registrations has fallen. In our country, in the second quarter 6.5 percent fewer people registered than in the previous quarter, which was the second largest drop among EU countries for which data for the second quarter of 2024 is available.
