Corporate bankruptcies rise by almost 20 percent

More filings for bankruptcy
Across the whole of Switzerland, a significantly greater number of businesses filed for bankruptcy between January and September; the upswing compared with the previous year was particularly steep from May onwards. The highest number of new filings for bankruptcy so far this year was in September, at 1,433.

In terms of sector, most bankruptcies occurred in the construction industry (1,192 cases), followed by food and drink (872) and the retail trade (606). The highest percentage increases were registered in the sectors concerned with services to buildings and landscape activities (+41.5%), in the provision of other mainly personal services, such as hairdressing or beauty salons (+37.5%), and in food and drink (+26.2%).
One reason for this sharp rise is a change in the law in Switzerland. Since 1st January 2025, it has been possible for tax liabilities to be pursued as far as bankruptcy if the debtors are listed in the commercial register.

The boom in business start-ups continues
40,867 new businesses were set up during the first nine months of this year, which represents an increase of 4.3% compared with the previous year. On the other hand, the number of companies deleted from the commercial register also rose at a rate of 13% more than during the same period of the previous year. As a result, there was a drop of nearly 10% in net business growth overall. The highest number of new entries was reported in the Cantons of Zurich (7,650), Vaud (3,904) and Geneva (3,376).

In sector-specific terms, the field was led by the retail trade (3,287 start-ups), management consultancies (3,273) and the real estate sector (2,920). A particularly strong rate of growth was seen in start-ups involving the real estate sector (+17.9%) and the provision of financial services (+16.6%).
In some sectors, the number of new start-ups has fallen in comparison with the previous year. This has particularly affected the retail trade, which fell by 7.3%, and the sector concerned with mainly personal services, which reported a fall of 5.7%.

We have taken into account all those businesses that were first entered into or deleted from the commercial register, or that filed for bankruptcy, between 1st January and 30th September 2025.
For example, a company might be deleted automatically if it is dissolved; if bankruptcy proceedings are instigated; at the end of the liquidity deadline; if it is subject to mergers; or if a company is closed as a result of a lack of any plans for succession.

Filings for bankruptcy by sector, January to September

New start-ups by sector (NOGA), January – September 

New start-ups by Canton, January – September