ICSM Insolvency News: latest figures from The Gazette show an increase in company insolvencies year on year
This article is from The Gazette: Company insolvencies in England and Wales increased slightly in April 2026, with 2,085 companies entering a formal insolvency process. This was 2% higher than March 2026 and 3% higher than April 2025.
The figures included 1,510 creditors’ voluntary liquidations, 371 compulsory liquidations, 183 administrations, 20 company voluntary arrangements and one receivership appointment.
Creditors’ voluntary liquidations continued to make up the majority of insolvencies, accounting for around 72% of all cases. This suggests that many directors are still choosing to close insolvent companies voluntarily rather than waiting for creditors to take action.
Compulsory liquidations also increased, rising 19% compared with March 2026. This was the highest monthly figure since February 2025 and was above the average seen over the previous 12 months.
Administrations fell by 21% compared with March, although they remained significantly higher than in April 2025. The Insolvency Service noted that administration numbers in March and April were affected by around 200 connected companies in the real estate sector entering administration, meaning this may not reflect the wider trend.
The longer-term picture shows that company insolvency levels remain much higher than the lows seen during the pandemic, when government support measures and restrictions on winding-up petitions reduced the number of formal insolvencies. However, the insolvency rate remains well below the peak seen during the 2008-09 recession.
Over the 12 months to 30 April 2026, one in 193 companies entered insolvency. This represented a rate of 51.8 insolvencies per 10,000 companies, slightly lower than the rate recorded in the previous 12-month period.
Overall, the figures suggest that financial pressure remains high for UK businesses. While the sharp rise in administrations may have been distorted by connected real estate cases, the continued high level of CVLs and the increase in compulsory liquidations show that many companies are still struggling with debt, cash flow and creditor pressure.
For more from The Gazette visit https://www.thegazette.co.uk/
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