Accredited official statistics
Company insolvencies, March 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 2,022 in March 2026, 7% higher than in February 2026 (1,895), and similar levels to March 2025 (1,995). The increase in March followed four months of numbers that were lower than those typically seen between 2022 and 2025. It was mostly driven by more than 100 connected companies in the Real Estate sector entering administration.
- Company insolvencies in March 2026 consisted of 299 compulsory liquidations, 1,468 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 235 administrations and 20 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs). There were no receivership appointments. Compulsory liquidations in March 2026 were at the highest level since October 2025 but lower than the 2025 monthly average. The number of CVLs in March 2026 was slightly lower than February 2026, and lower than the 2025 monthly average. Administrations were 52% higher than in February 2026 and 82% higher than in March 2025, as more than 100 connected companies in the Real Estate sector entered administration.
- One in 194 companies on the Companies House effective register (at a rate of 51.6 per 10,000 companies) entered insolvency between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This was a decrease from the 53.0 per 10,000 companies that entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 31 March 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.
- 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.
Updates to this page
Published 17 April 2026