Company insolvencies, August 2026
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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The number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales was 1,946 in August 2026. This is similar to July 2026 (1,934) and 3% lower than the same month in the previous year (2,007 in August 2025). Monthly numbers of company insolvencies in the first eight months of 2026 were slightly lower than the average of the preceding three years.
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Company insolvencies in August 2026 consisted of 314 compulsory liquidations, 1,431 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 182 administrations and 19 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). There were no receivership appointments. The number of CVLs was lower than in both July 2026 and August 2025, while compulsory liquidations were higher than in both months. Administrations were 44% higher than in July 2026, and 60% higher than in August 2025. Administration numbers have been volatile in recent months, driven by over 250 connected companies in the Real Estate sector entering administration.
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One in 200 companies (at a rate of 50.1 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. This was a decrease from the 52.5 per 10,000 companies that entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 31 August 2025. 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.