Business insolvencies: contrasting regional dynamics
At the end of the third quarter of 2025, Ellisphere's regional analyses confirm a highly heterogeneous trend in business insolvencies (opening of receiverships and direct judicial liquidations) across France. While some regions are beginning to see an encouraging downturn, others are seeing difficulties persist, against a backdrop of budgetary uncertainty and pressure on margins.
Based on data from the Ellisphere database as of September 30, 2025, the Focus Éco Régionaux offer a precise insight into the economic situation in the regions, based on the number of receiverships and liquidations recorded over a sliding 12-month period.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: the industrial engine under stress
With 7,953 insolvencies recorded over 12 months to the end of September 2025, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region posted a +5.1% rise in the number of collective proceedings, following an already marked +18% increase at the end of 2024. The Building & Public Works (BTP) (+12.7%) and Means of Transport (+16.5%) sectors accounted for most of the difficulties, against a backdrop of weakening order books and economic uncertainty for 2026.
The Rhône département recorded the strongest increase (+28%), notably in construction (+76.2%) and logistics (+39%). This trend underlines the fragility of a region that is nevertheless solidly industrialized.
DROM: a relative lull but sharp contrasts
Over the last 12 months, the French overseas departments and regions (DROM) have recorded a 5.6% increase in insolvencies, compared with 10.2% at the end of June, reflecting a significant slowdown in the rate of deterioration.
However, territorial disparities remain wide:
- La Réunion: down by 5.6%, driven by a 17.1% decline in the building and civil engineering sector due to post-cyclone Garance works.
- Guadeloupe: insolvencies soared by 31%, with peaks in business services (+90%),food processing (+57.9%) and consumer goods (+100%).
- French Guiana: up +125.4%.
A total of 2,065 companies were involved in insolvency proceedings in the DROMs, underlining the economic fragility of these territories.
Grand Est: a welcome fall in the number of insolvencies
The Grand Est region recorded a -4.1% fall in the number of insolvencies, or 4,238 over 12 months.
This improvement is due in particular to the sharp drop in the Haut-Rhin (-19.4%), where the construction (-30.5%) and personal services (-30.7%) sectors declined significantly.
Another encouraging sign is that the Transport & Logistics sector recorded a 10.3% drop in insolvencies, against the national rise (+7.8%).
Thanks to its strategic position at the heart of Europe, the Grand Est confirms its role as a resilient logistics and industrial hub.
Hauts-de-France: a fragile balance that holds firm
Hauts-de-France recorded a very moderate increase of +1.5%, for a total of 4,873 collective proceedings.
A stable trend which, however, masks departmental disparities:
- Pas-de-Calais: +5.4%, driven by increases in Personal Services (+10% ) and Retail (+11%).
- Somme: +10.4%,
- Aisne: +10.9%.
Utilities (+8.7%) and Business Services (+8.1%) continue to deteriorate, reflecting pressure on the cash positions of local and intermediate structures.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine: the rise is confirmed
Insolvencies in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region rose by +8.3%, with 6,176 procedures recorded over a sliding 12-month period to the end of September 2025.
The biggest increases were in Charente-Maritime (+22.9%), Haute-Vienne (+17.5%) and Lot-et-Garonne (+13.6%).
The most exposed sectors in this region :
- Means of transport: +90%,
- CONSTRUCTION: +58.6%,
- Business services: +18.1%,
- Utilities: +19.3%.
This trend reflects persistent pressures on profitability and recruitment in the region's service and industrial sectors.
Occitanie: controlled increase with sharp contrasts between departments
The Occitanie region, which represents around 7% of national GDP, maintained a limited upward trend of +1.6%, or 5,930 insolvencies.
A relatively positive performance in a still unstable environment.
The Hérault département is driving this upward trend (+7%), particularly in the Personal Services (+30.3%) and Transport & Logistics (+41.7%) sectors.
Conversely, the Gard département is down by -5.2%, while theAriège département is up by +45.6%.
Notable sector developments in Occitania :
- Household goods: +19.2
- Metals: +26.1
The regional economy remains resilient overall, although marked by strong local heterogeneity.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: back to stability
The Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region posted the sharpest fall in insolvencies among the major French regions: -7.5% year-on-year, or 6,226 procedures.
Bouches-du-Rhône (-7.9%), Alpes-Maritimes (-12.6%) and Var (-6.3%) account for this positive trend.
The sectors making the greatest contribution to this decline are :
- Distribution: -17.3%,
- Transport & Logistics: -17%,
- CONSTRUCTION: -7.3%.
Tourism, which accounts for around 13% of regional GDP, supported the economy, with good occupancy rates observed during the summer of 2025.
At the same time, mass retail benefited from the postponement of consumption, boosting the supply chain.
A multi-speed France
Ellisphere's October 2025 Focus Éco Régionaux confirms an entrepreneurial dynamic of variable geometry with regard to business failures:
- Territories recording a decline: Grand Est (-4.1%), PACA (-7.5%), La Réunion (-5.6%)
- Others are relatively stable: Hauts-de-France (+1.5%), Occitanie (+1.6%) and DROM (+5.6%).
- And two with significant increases: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (+5.1%) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (+8.3%).
While most regions seem to be stabilizing, some are still suffering from the combined effects of rising costs, slowing domestic demand and severe pressure on the construction and services sectors.
🔍 Ellisphere's expertise at the service of economic understanding
Drawing on a database of 16.8 million French entities tracked for up to 10 years after their cessation, Ellisphere offers a comprehensive, structured view of regional economic life.
Our analyses enable us toidentify weak signals,anticipate the risk of failure, andsupport decision-makers in their investment, financing and prevention strategies.
