Brussels, 5 August 2025 - The latest quarterly report from Altares Dun & Bradstreet shows a mixed picture of the Belgian economy in the second quarter of 2025. The number of bankruptcies continues to rise, but at the same time, trade activity is picking up and companies are increasingly paying their invoices on time.
Bankruptcies at highest level in five years
ChatGPT zei: In the second quarter of 2025, 3,410 bankruptcies were registered, bringing the total for the first half of the year to 6,602 – the highest figure in five years. The increase is once again most noticeable in the construction sector (834), followed by trade (669) and hospitality (545). Compared to Q1, the construction sector saw 60 more bankruptcies, and trade around 24 more. Hospitality, on the other hand, registered 19 fewer bankruptcies. Regionally, the Brussels-Capital Region (491), Antwerp (473), and Flemish Brabant (321) were the hardest-hit provinces. This highlights the continued pressure on businesses in urban and economically active areas.
“The increase in bankruptcies sounds alarming, but it needs to be put into perspective,” says Joris Peters, Chief Data Scientist at Altares Dun & Bradstreet. “Compared to the total number of VAT-registered companies, the estimated risk remains limited to around 0.98%. That’s still below the level seen during the 2008 financial crisis, which peaked at 1.12%.”
Bankruptcies by region
Payment behavior: Companies show more discipline
The payment behavior of Belgian companies continues to improve. In Q2 2025, 69.7% of invoices were paid on time, a significant increase compared to 57.8% in Q2 2024. The share of companies paying 1 to 30 days late fell from 29.8% to 26.1%. The average payment delay after the due date is now 7.12 days, compared to 10.09 days a year ago. The biggest improvements compared to Q2 2024 are seen mainly in hospitality (-4 days), industry (-2 days), and government (-3 days).
Peeters explains: “The structural decline in late payments in Belgium may indicate a ‘credit crunch effect’: companies are paying faster to maintain their creditworthiness and secure access to supplier credit, in a climate of stricter banking conditions due to geopolitical uncertainty.”
Trade intensity is growing but remains below pre-COVID levels
Trade intensity, an important indicator of activity between companies, rose slightly to 88.4 points in Q2 2025 (January 2020 = 100). This is an increase of 0.3 points compared to Q1 and 5.6 points higher than a year ago. However, the level remains below that of the pre-COVID period. Notably, the government (+2.3%), transport, communication, and energy (+2.0%), and construction (+1.7%) sectors showed quarter-on-quarter growth. The largest year-on-year increases by sector were seen in agriculture (+18.5), hospitality (+15.8), and construction (+12.9).
Sectoral trends and challenges
Since January 2020, trade intensity has declined in almost all sectors, with the largest decreases in trade (-20.2%), mining (-19.7%), and industry (-19.5%). However, there are some bright spots: compared to the previous quarter, growth was seen in government, transport, and construction. On a yearly basis, agriculture, hospitality, and construction stand out with strong growth.
“Although the number of bankruptcies in Belgium is rising, we also see positive signals such as improved payment behavior and increasing trade activity,” says Peeters. “Belgium is highly dependent on exports to countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands. From our latest Dun & Bradstreet Global Business Optimism Insights Q3 2025 report shows that confidence in their own financial situation and access to credit – measured by our Global Business Financial Confidence Index – is sharply declining in Germany (-17.0%) and France (-18.5%). This pessimism may translate into less trade and increased pressure on Belgian companies. The economic uncertainty, fueled by geopolitical tensions and trade tariffs, will inevitably be felt here as well.”
