Salzburg personal insolvencies rise as business failures fall

Personal insolvencies in Salzburg have risen by 17 percent in 2026 compared with last year, while business insolvencies have fallen to nearly 280, ORF reported, citing the Kreditschutzverband von 1870, a creditor protection association.

The average debt per person affected has also increased significantly, reaching around 133,000 euros, the association said on Wednesday.

Representatives attributed the rise in personal insolvencies to the burden of ongoing costs, which some people can barely afford alongside their daily living expenses.

Business insolvencies, meanwhile, are down by more than 10 percent from the previous year. However, the debts of affected companies have risen by 50 percent, while the number of employees at insolvent firms has increased by one third.

Petra Wögerbauer, the association’s regional manager responsible for Salzburg, said the insolvencies had so far involved small businesses and increasingly medium-sized companies, as well as service providers and property developers. More companies with large workforces are also being affected, she added.

In Salzburg, business failures are mainly affecting retail, hotels and restaurants, and the construction industry.