Monthly insolvency statistics – February 2026

Corporate Insolvencies

England and Wales

There were 1,878 corporate insolvency processes in February 2026 and 1 Moratorium.  This was a 7% increase on January 2026 but a 7% decrease when compared to February 2025. There have been 461 fewer processes in the last six months when compared with the same period in the prior year.

Creditors Voluntary Liquidations (“CVLs”) totalled 1,473, 3% lower than February 2025. There were 419 fewer CVLs in the last six months than the previous period over the prior year which accounts for the largest contribution to the overall reduction in corporate insolvency processes.

Compulsory Liquidations (“WUCs”) totalled 249 and were 35% lower than February 2025.

There were 146 Administration appointments, 30% higher than February 2025.  

Finally, there were 10 Company Voluntary arrangements (“CVAs”) in February 2026, 43% higher than February 2025. 

Scotland 

There were 98 company insolvencies registered in Scotland, 5% lower than February 2025. There were 39 compulsory liquidations, 50 CVLs, six Administrations, two Receiverships and one CVA appointment.

Northern Ireland

In February 2026 there were 25 company insolvencies registered in Northern Ireland, 30% lower than February 2025. This is comprised of 16 CVLs, eight Compulsory Liquidations and one Administration.  There were no CVAs or Receivership appointments.

Personal Insolvencies

England and Wales

In February 2026, 11,609 people in England and Wales became insolvent. This was 18% higher than February 2025 and 6% higher than January 2026.

In addition, Debt Relief Orders reached their highest ever monthly level at 4,210, the most since their introduction  in 2009, exceeding the previous record of 4,185 set in August 2025.

Bankruptcy figures were affected by case backlogs from a system change. In February 2026, 768 bankruptcies were recorded, of which, most resulted from debtor applications (658), which were higher than both the previous month by 2% and by 50% in the same period last year, partly due to the case backlogs. Bankruptcies from creditors’ petitions (110) were lower than in January 2026 and significantly lower than a year earlier.

In February 2026, 6,631 IVAs were registered. This was 6% higher than the previous month and 20% higher than February 2025.

5,102 Breathing Spaces were registered in February 2026, which shows a 35% decrease compared with February 2025. The majority were standard breathing spaces, with a small proportion relating to mental health. Registration volumes have declined following changes to eligibility criteria introduced by StepChange in November 2025, the provider responsible for the largest share of registrations since the scheme began.

In summary, the February 2026 data shows continued pressure on individuals, reflected in higher overall insolvency levels, particularly IVAs and Debt Relief Orders. Recent policy and operational changes have influenced trends in bankruptcies and Breathing Space registrations, highlighting the impact of system and eligibility adjustments alongside underlying financial conditions.

Scotland

The Accountant in Bankruptcy produces individual insolvency statistics on a quarterly basis. Therefore, the numbers in this section are only updated once every 3 months.

The quarters referred to are calendar year quarters, such that Q4 2025 covers the period 1 October to 31 December 2025. In Q4 2025, there were 1,896 individual insolvencies in Scotland, which was 6% higher than in the same quarter of 2024.

The individual insolvencies were comprised of 1,122 protected trust deeds and 774 bankruptcies (also known as sequestrations), of which 431 went into bankruptcy via the minimal asset process route. The rules regarding bankruptcy differ to those in England and Wales, so numbers of bankruptcies are not directly comparable.

Northern Ireland

In February 2026, there were 138 individual insolvencies in Northern Ireland. This was 10% higher than in February 2025. There were 109 IVAs, 20 DROs and nine bankruptcies.