Lower Austria records more than six personal insolvencies per working day

Personal insolvencies in Lower Austria rose by 13.4% in the first nine months of 2026, with 1,204 cases filed, ORF reported, citing figures from credit information agency Creditreform. That amounts to about 6.4 cases per working day.

Across Austria, 7,897 personal insolvencies were registered from January to September, 857 more than in the same period last year, a rise of 12.2%. Lower Austria had the country’s third-highest total, after Vienna with 2,584 cases and Upper Austria with 1,250.

Lower Austria recorded 8.6 personal insolvencies per 10,000 residents, among the lowest rates in the country. Only Burgenland, at 5.0, Salzburg, at 7.3, and Styria, at 8.3, had lower rates. The national rate was 10.7 per 10,000 adults.

Creditreform said the increase was driven largely by the end of a three-year repayment plan that had offered a route to debt relief. The option ended in mid-July, prompting many debtors to file for insolvency before the deadline, according to Creditreform director Gerhard M. Weinhofer.

Applications across Austria were up 48% year on year in June and 69% in July, a combined increase of 873 cases compared with those months in 2025. The number of applications fell again in September.

Weinhofer said households with limited financial reserves were especially vulnerable to higher prices, rising regular expenses and uncertainty over income. He urged people to address financial difficulties early, saying this could help prevent problems from escalating and costs from growing.