Experian has published the findings from its Corporate Insolvencies and Demographics Radar corresponding to the end of August 2026. The data from Experian Spain’s Center for Economic Studies indicate that insolvencies are down 3.7% year-to-date, totaling 3,836 compared with 3,985 in the same period last year.
Sector-by-sector analysis shows that Wholesale and Retail Trade and Motor Vehicle Repair leads the sector with the highest number of insolvency filings, totaling 871 processes in the first eight months of the year, down 12.9% from the same period last year. It is followed by Construction with 564 filings, a decline of 8.1% from the same period a year earlier. In third place sits the Manufacturing industry with 506 insolvency filings, down 6.6% from the same period last year.
From a regional perspective, Catalonia is the region recording the most insolvency filings so far this year, at 944, which translates into a 10.1% decline compared with the first eight months of 2025. In second place is Madrid with 813 insolvency filings, down 4.4% from the same period last year. Valencia stands in third place with 545 insolvency filings, down 0.1% compared with the same period last year.
The business fabric strengthens with 92,794 new companies
In the first eight months of the year, according to the data from Experian Spain’s Center for Economic Studies, 92,794 companies were formed, up 9.4% from the first eight months of 2025.
Sectoral analysis shows Construction as the sector with the most new company formations so far this year, 14,244, up 14.9% from the same period of the prior year. In second place is Wholesale and Retail Trade and Vehicle Repair, with 13,632 new companies formed, a 0.4% decrease from the same period last year. In third place sits Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities with 9,115 new companies, up 0.9% from the same period last year.
Regional analysis shows Madrid consolidating its position as the region with the most company formations, reaching 20,140 in the first eight months of 2026, up 6.7% from the same period last year. Following is Catalonia with 17,484 new companies, up 5.8% from the same period last year. In third place sits Andalusia with 14,945 new companies, up 6% compared with the first eight months of 2025.
Business dissolutions continue to grow
Continuing the trend of previous months, dissolutions are rising, and in the first eight months of the year they reach 45,464 dissolved companies, an increase of 8.9% versus 41,743 in the same period in 2025.
The sector analysis shows that the sector with the highest number of dissolutions is Wholesale and Retail Trade and Motor Vehicle Repair with 8,948 dissolved companies, up 9.7% from the same period in 2025. Construction follows with 6,587 dissolved companies, up 9.8% from the first eight months of the previous year. In third place is Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities with 5,392 dissolved companies, up 9.1% from the same period last year.
Geographically, Madrid leads the ranking of regions with the highest number of dissolutions, reporting 11,218, up 5.8% from the same period last year. It is followed by Catalonia with 6,785 dissolved companies, up 10% from the first eight months of 2025. In third place stands Andalusia with 6,686 dissolved companies, up 12.4% from the same period last year.
On the other hand, the net balance (companies created minus companies dissolved) in the first eight months of the year stands at 47,510 new companies reinforcing the Spanish business fabric.
The combined decline in insolvencies and the solid 9.5% growth in company creation reflect the resilience and dynamism of Spain’s business fabric despite a challenging economic environment. The traction in forming companies in key activities such as trade or professional services indicates ongoing entrepreneurial activity, supporting a positive net balance of more than 47,500 new companies so far this year. However, the sustained rise in dissolutions (+8.9%) shows that pressure on operating costs, financing conditions, and market competition continues to require adjustments in less solid structures. Overall, the data sketch a business ecosystem in constant renewal with growth potential, yet with uneven evolution across sectors and regions.
