England and Wales registered 1,882 company insolvencies in September 2026, 4% fewer than in August and 5% fewer than in September 2025, according to Insolvency Service figures published on 20 October 2026. Our analysis of the industry tables shows that three sectors, construction, wholesale and retail, and accommodation and food, still account for 46% of all cases over the past year.
The headline figure is seasonally adjusted. Of the 1,882 cases, 1,420 were creditors' voluntary liquidations, 341 were compulsory liquidations, 102 were administrations and 19 were company voluntary arrangements. There were no receivership appointments.
Compulsory liquidations rose on both the month (from 321) and the year (from 273), while administrations fell 44% from August. The Insolvency Service says the recent volatility in administrations reflects more than 250 connected real estate companies entering administration between March and August 2026. It also says every month of 2026 so far has been below the average of the previous three years.
One in 200 companies
Over the 12 months to 30 September 2026, 49.9 in every 10,000 companies on the register entered insolvency, about one in 200. That is down from 52.8 per 10,000 a year earlier and well below the peak of 113.1 per 10,000 during the 2008 to 2009 recession.
Where the insolvencies are
The industry breakdown uses unadjusted figures, which put September at 1,834 cases and the 12 months to September at 22,880. Our ranking of the largest sectors over those 12 months, with the change on the previous 12 months:
- Construction: 3,873 cases, 16.9% of the total, down 1.7%
- Wholesale and retail trade, including motor repair: 3,364, 14.7%, down 10.4%
- Accommodation and food services: 3,208, 14.0%, down 4.9%
- Administrative and support services: 2,202, 9.6%, down 8.8%
- Professional, scientific and technical: 1,897, 8.3%, down 3.6%
- Manufacturing: 1,827, 8.0%, down 7.1%
Construction has the most cases and the smallest fall of the large sectors. The exception to the downward trend is real estate, where insolvencies rose 26% to 981, the period that includes the connected administrations the Insolvency Service describes.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland and Northern Ireland are reported separately and are not seasonally adjusted; their figures reflect the date an insolvency was registered at Companies House. Scotland registered 117 company insolvencies in September, 14% more than a year earlier, though its 12-month rate fell to 49.0 per 10,000. Northern Ireland registered 45, up from 28, and was the only one of the three jurisdictions where the 12-month rate rose, to 42.6 per 10,000 from 37.3.
All figures are provisional. The Insolvency Service notes that some compulsory liquidations for the latest month may not yet be on its system and that seasonally adjusted figures are revised in later releases. The October figures are due on 17 November 2026.
Key facts
- 1,882 company insolvencies in England and Wales in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted), down 4% on August and 5% on September 2025
- 49.9 per 10,000 companies entered insolvency in the 12 months to September, down from 52.8
- Construction, retail and hospitality: 10,445 of 22,880 cases in the 12 months to September (46%)
- Real estate insolvencies up 26% on the previous 12 months
- Scotland: 117 in September (up 14%); Northern Ireland: 45 (up from 28)
Source: Insolvency Service, Company insolvencies September 2026, published 20 October 2026 (gov.uk). Figures are for England and Wales unless stated; sector shares and changes are Small Cap News calculations from the release's data tables. See also: Data & Surveys, Growth and how to send us your news.