Japan’s Business Failures during January to December 2021
(Released by TEIKOKU DATABANK, LTD.)
| Bankruptcies |
6,015 |
| Year-over-Year basis |
▲23.0% |
| Previous Year |
7,809 |
| Liabilities |
1,163,309 million yen |
| Year-over-Year basis |
▲1.5% |
| Previous Year |
1,181,056 million yen |
Highlight and Outstanding Feature
- ■The number of bankruptcies came to 6,015 (7,809 in the previous year, down 1,794 year-on-year, or 23.0%), the lowest since 2000. Historically low level for the first time in half a century since 1966 (5,919 bankruptcies), even compared with the year 1999 and earlier.
- ■Total liabilities in 2021 amounted to 1,163,309 million yen (1,181,056 million yen in the previous year, down 17,747 million yen year-on-year, or 1.5%); although the number of bankruptcies fell sharply, liabilities decreased only slightly.
- ■By industry, the number of bankruptcies decreased year-on-year in six industries excluding the transportation and telecommunications industry. In B2C industries such as the retail industry (down to 1,362 bankruptcies from 1,879 in the previous year, or 27.5%) and the service industry (down to 1,425 bankruptcies from 1,872, or 23.9%), bankruptcies have subsided. Meanwhile, the transportation and telecommunications industry (up to 272 bankruptcies from 262, or 3.8%) was the only one to see an increase among the seven industries.
- ■In terms of liabilities, bankruptcies of companies with liabilities totaling less than 50 million yen numbered 3,665 (down 25.6% year-on-year), and their ratio in all bankruptcies decreased for the first time in 13 years. On the other hand, the number of bankruptcies of companies with liabilities of 5,000 million yen or more increased to 30, up for the first time in six years.
- ■By region, all regions experienced significant double-digit year-on-year decreases. In Kanto (down to 2,246 bankruptcies from 2,743 in the previous year, or 18.1%), the number of bankruptcies of restaurants, etc. decreased significantly. In Kinki (down to 1,529 bankruptcies from 2,084, or 26.6%), the number fell below 2,000 for the first time in 16 years, with a double-digit decrease in all six prefectures in the region.
- ■By type, the number of bankruptcies was 5,518 (accounting for 91.7% of all types), and their ratio in all business failures decreased for the sixth consecutive year. There were 195 bankruptcies under the Civil Rehabilitation Act (3.2%), the smallest number since the enforcement of that act in 2000.
- ■There were 104 bankruptcies caused by a labor shortage (down 30.7% year-on-year), marking the second consecutive year of year-on-year decrease.
- ■There were 466 bankruptcies caused by a difficulty in finding a successor (up 3.1% year-on-year), marking a record high since figures started being aggregated in 2013.
- ■There were 393 post-moratorium bankruptcies (down 20.0% year-on-year), falling for the second consecutive year since the peak in 2019.
Bankruptcy Information TOP