Company insolvencies, April 2025
Monthly tables and commentary on the numbers, rates and sectors of companies that have entered formal insolvency procedures in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Main messages for England and Wales
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The number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 2,053 in April 2025, 3% higher than in March 2025 (1,996) but 5% lower than the same month in the previous year (2,163 in April 2024). Company insolvencies over the past 12 months have been slightly lower than in 2023, which saw a 30-year high annual number, but have remained high relative to historical levels.
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Company insolvencies in April 2025 consisted of 379 compulsory liquidations, 1,544 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 105 administrations, 24 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and one receivership appointment. The (seasonally adjusted) number of compulsory liquidations in April 2025 was the highest monthly number since September 2014. The number of CVLs in April 2025 was similar to both March 2025 and the 2024 monthly average. Administrations were lower than in March 2025, while CVAs were higher.
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One in 190 companies on the Companies House effective register (at a rate of 52.5 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025. This was a decrease from the 57.0 per 10,000 companies that entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 30 April 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.
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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.