Japan’s Business Failures during January to December 2024
(Released by TEIKOKU DATABANK, LTD.)
Number of annual bankruptcies increases significantly for 3 consecutive years, approaching 10,000
Highest number since 2014
| Bankruptcies |
9,901 |
| Year-over-Year basis |
+16.5％ |
| Previous Year |
8,497 |
| Liabilities |
2,376,903 million yen |
| Year-over-Year basis |
+6.6％ |
| Previous Year |
2,219,780 million yen |
Highlight and Outstanding Feature
- ■The number of bankruptcies in 2024 was 9,901 (8,497 in the previous year, up 16.5%), 1,404 more than the previous year (up 16.5%). For the third year in a row, the number of bankruptcies increased from the previous year, and approached 10,000 for the first time since 2013 (10,332). The number was the highest since 2014 (9,180 bankruptcies).
- ■Total liabilities were 2,219,780 million yen (2,376,903 million yen in the previous year, down 6.6% year-on-year), exceeding 2 trillion yen for the third consecutive year. Including MSJ Asset Management Company (formerly Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, 641.3 billion yen), which accounted for about 30% of the total, there were 10 bankruptcies of companies with liabilities of 10 billion yen or more.
- ■By industry, the number of bankruptcies increased year-on-year in six of seven industries. The service industry (to 2,547 bankruptcies from 2,099 in the previous year, an increase of 21.3%) saw the most bankruptcies, and posted the highest figure since 2000. This was followed by the retail industry (to 2,087 from 1,783, up 17.0% from the previous year) and construction industry (to 1,890 from 1,671, up 13.1% from the previous year).
- ■By region, all regions experienced year-on-year increases for the second consecutive year. The region with the most bankruptcies was Kanto (to 3,442 from 3,066 in the previous year, up 12.3%). Next was the Kinki region (to 2,542 from 2,106, up 20.7%), which exceeded 2,500 cases for the first time in 11 years. In total, 38 prefectures saw increases year-on-year.
- ■There were 734 cases of “bankruptcies after zero-zero (COVID-19-related) loans,” a record high for the fourth consecutive year.
- ■There were 342 bankruptcies due to labor shortages, with the number of cases in one year exceeding 300 for the first time, and significantly surpassing the previous record.
- ■The number of bankruptcies caused by a difficulty in finding a successor was 540, marking the second-highest-ever, though the number decreased from the previous year.
- ■There were 933 bankruptcies due to high prices, a significant increase over the previous record.
Bankruptcy Information TOP