Bankruptcies in Greece jumped nearly 46% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, even as business registrations for new companies barely moved. The figures were released by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency.
The country’s bankruptcy index climbed from 966.9 in the second quarter of 2025 to 1,406.7 in the same period this year. Eurostat’s measure sets 2021 as its base year of 100. That level is more than six times higher than the euro area average of 214.8 for the same quarter.
Bankruptcies also rose sharply within 2026 itself. The index stood at 1,069.2 in the first quarter, then climbed about 32% by the second.
Greece’s business registrations lag as bankruptcies surge across Europe
New business registrations told a different story. Greece’s registration index edged up to just 148.4 in the second quarter from 147.4 in the first. That marked a gain of less than 1%. Registrations climbed only about 2% from a year earlier, a far slower pace than the surge in company failures.
Even with that slowdown, Greece’s registration numbers still sit well above the wider European bloc. The euro area recorded a registration index of 113.2 in the second quarter. The 27-nation European Union stood at 110.9, roughly flat from the previous quarter, Eurostat reported.
Business registrations across the EU slipped 0.5% between the first and second quarters. Bankruptcies across the bloc climbed 5.7% over the same stretch.
Europe’s widening divide between failing and thriving businesses
Similar strains showed up elsewhere in Europe. France recorded a bankruptcy index of 264.8, among the highest in the EU. The Netherlands and Sweden posted steadier readings, near 193 and 159 respectively.
Across European business sectors, education and social services saw the sharpest rise in bankruptcies, up 21.1%. Transport and financial services followed close behind. Registrations fell in industry, food services and education. Companies in information and communication posted the strongest gains.
The figures point to a widening divide between Europe’s steadier economies and those under greater strain. Bankruptcies across the continent climbed faster than new business formation in the second quarter, according to the Eurostat data.
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