Legal change drives rise in personal insolvencies in Vienna

Vienna recorded 2,584 personal insolvencies in the first nine months of 2026, more than any other Austrian state, according to Creditreform figures reported by ORF. The increase was largely linked to a legal change.

Inflation contributed to the rise but did not explain it on its own, Creditreform said. The main factor was the end of a three-year repayment period in mid-July. Many people filed for personal insolvency to take advantage of the faster route to debt relief before it ended.

Vienna also had the country’s highest personal insolvency rate, with 16.2 cases per 10,000 adults.

Business insolvencies in the city followed a different trend. There were 1,885 in the first three quarters, down 2.7 percent. However, Vienna still had the highest business insolvency rate, at 22.9 cases per 1,000 businesses. Creditreform said the hospitality and construction sectors were under particular pressure.