UK Compulsory Liquidation Statistics
In May 2026 there were 285 compulsory liquidations in England and Wales, 15% of all company insolvencies. A compulsory liquidation is a court-ordered winding-up of a company, normally after a creditor presents a winding-up petition. HMRC is one of the most active petitioners. This page tracks the monthly trend back to 2000, the rate per 10,000 companies and how the procedure sits within the wider insolvency total.
Accredited official statistics
Trend
Monthly UK compulsory liquidations since 2000
Because they require a court order, compulsory liquidations lag the economic cycle and track how actively creditors are pursuing debts. Volumes rose as HMRC resumed active enforcement after the pandemic.
How to read this
What the compulsory liquidation figures show
Compulsory liquidations follow legal action, so they reflect creditor and HMRC enforcement as much as underlying trading conditions.
The count is a volume, not a failure rate. The rate per 10,000 companies adjusts for the size of the active register.
The leading indicator for compulsory liquidations is winding-up petition statistics. See also the UK company insolvency statistics and CVL statistics.
Recent months
UK compulsory liquidations over the last 12 months
| Month | Compulsory liquidation | All insolvencies | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 285 | 1,868 | 15% |
| Apr 2026 | 384 | 2,087 | 18% |
| Mar 2026 | 306 | 2,028 | 15% |
| Feb 2026 | 259 | 1,899 | 14% |
| Jan 2026 | 258 | 1,761 | 15% |
| Dec 2025 | 249 | 1,689 | 15% |
| Nov 2025 | 256 | 1,854 | 14% |
| Oct 2025 | 314 | 2,011 | 16% |
| Sep 2025 | 277 | 1,967 | 14% |
| Aug 2025 | 304 | 2,017 | 15% |
| Jul 2025 | 329 | 2,053 | 16% |
| Jun 2025 | 320 | 2,025 | 16% |
| May 2025 | 345 | 2,231 | 15% |
Seasonally adjusted, England and Wales. Source: Insolvency Service / Companies House.
Method
UK company insolvency statistics: methodology
Company insolvency data is sourced mainly from Companies House. Compulsory liquidation data for England and Wales comes from the Insolvency Service, and compulsory liquidation data for Northern Ireland comes from the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.
The headline England and Wales figures use seasonally adjusted data where the Insolvency Service has identified seasonality. Scotland and Northern Ireland figures are shown on an unadjusted basis.
The statistics count formal company insolvency procedures. They do not include members’ voluntary liquidations, dissolutions or ordinary company closures.
Data limitations
- The latest month is provisional and can be revised.
- Detailed industry sub-sector breakdowns are published quarterly.
- Industry is based on self-reported SIC codes.
- Registered office addresses are not a reliable guide to where a company traded.
- Solvent company closures are not included.
Source
Source and citation
- Primary source
- Insolvency Service, Company Insolvency Statistics, May 2026.
- Supporting source
- Companies House company register data.
- Publication date
- 19 June 2026
- Next scheduled release
- 17 July 2026
- Status
- Accredited official statistics
How to cite this page
CompanyDebt. (2026). UK Compulsory Liquidation Statistics. CompanyDebt.com. Data sourced from the Insolvency Service and Companies House company insolvency statistics.
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