(10.05.2023) The first quarter of 2023 proved to be catastrophic for many companies in Switzerland. The consulting firm Dun & Bradstreet identified no less than 1,624 bankruptcies between January and March 2023, representing an increase of 36% compared to the same period a year ago.
The absolute figures reveal an additional 434 permanent closures on a year-over-year basis in the first quarter of 2023. The total number of cases now exceeds the values recorded before the pandemic.
The situation varies significantly from one region and sector to another: retail trade (+107%), durable goods production (+86%), construction (+76%), automobile (+62%), and IT services (+52%) have been particularly affected, with a total of 309 insolvency proceedings.
Other sectors, such as craftsmanship (+14%), the wood and furniture industry (+14%), and investment and holding companies (+21%), experienced a less pronounced trend. However, due to its numerous companies, the crafts sector was hit the hardest in absolute numbers (260).
In relative figures, Central Switzerland (+56%) and the Mittelland area (+51%) topped the list of regions with the highest number of bankruptcies. The Lake Geneva region was the hardest hit in absolute figures (383), followed by the Mittelland (298) and the Zurich region (279).
Abroad, Germany and Austria also experienced a relatively pronounced increase in insolvency cases in the first quarter of 2023, with rates of 24% and 31% respectively, year-on-year.
Last modification 10.05.2023
