Monthly insolvency statistics – September 2025

Corporate Insolvencies

England and Wales

Corporate insolvencies for September 2025 totalled 2000, 2% higher than September 2024 but slightly below the average for the first 8 months of the year.

There have been almost 450 more compulsory liquidations in the first 9 months of 2025 compared to 2024. Conversely, there have been 100 fewer administrations when compared to the same period.

Creditors Voluntary Liquidations (“CVLs”) totalled 1,578, 1% higher than September 2024.

Compulsory Liquidations (“WUCs”) totalled 281, 17% higher than in September 2024.

There were 124 Administration appointments, which were 17% lower than in September 2024.

There were 17 Company Voluntary Arrangements (“CVAs”) in September 2025, the same as in September 2024.

Scotland

In September 2025, there were 103 company insolvencies registered in Scotland, 41% higher than in September 2024. There were 48 compulsory liquidations, 50 CVLs and five administrations. There were no Receivership or CVAs.

Northern Ireland

In September 2025, there were 28 company insolvencies registered in Northern Ireland, the same as in September 2024. This was comprised of 10 CVLs, 15 compulsory liquidations, two administrations and one CVA. There were no receiverships.

Personal Insolvencies

England and Wales

There were 11,101 individual insolvencies in September 2025, with very similar figures in the previous months. There appears to be very little monthly movement in the numbers for each procedure at present, which might indicate that those procedures are becoming more appropriate in addressing the various needs of indebted individuals.

The number of Debt Relief Orders (DRO’s) reduced from the previous month’s record high to 3,985. 

With DRO’s now increasingly being the debt solution of choice for many, bankruptcy numbers have decreased, with the total number of bankruptcies in September (622), being significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

In September there were 115 creditor petitions, 32% lower than September 2024. HMRC are still leading the push on filing petitions.

Debtors’ applications are being replaced in the main by DRO applications. However, debtors’ bankruptcy applications have increased to 507 in September.

Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA) numbers have been consistently lower than during the highs of 2022, however they are steadily increasing, with the first 9 months of 2025 consistently higher than the averages from 2023 and 2024. In September 2025, 6,494 IVAs were registered, being 9% higher than September 2024.

A revised IVA protocol came into effect on 1 July 2025 which aims to bring further clarity and certainty for both consumers and creditors. However, it remains to be seen how these changes will affect future IVA numbers.

There were 7,684 Breathing Space (BS) registrations in September. Standard BS registrations stood at 7,589 and there were 95 Mental Health BS registrations. The number of BS applications remain high although this procedure is merely a pause in the process and the individuals concerned will still have to deal with their indebtedness.

The numbers suggest that those exiting a BS application are being sign-posted to a DRO as their chosen exit route once the BS period had expired.

Plans to modernise the current Personal Insolvency framework could result in a single gateway to enable people to access independent, regulated debt advice, via a digital platform, or dovetailed with the current BS scheme, which could see the removal of previous barriers into appropriate and regulated insolvency procedures.

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 Q1 2025 covers the period 1 January to 31 March 2025. In Q2 2025, there were 1,935 individual insolvencies in Scotland, which was 6% lower than in the same quarter of 2024.

The individual insolvencies were comprised of 1,196 protected trust deeds and 739 bankruptcies (also known as sequestrations), of which 400 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 September 2025, there were 108 individual insolvencies in Northern Ireland. This was 30% lower than in September 2024. There were 71 IVAs, 12 bankruptcies and 25 DROs.