2011 saw business insolvencies in the UK increase by a small margin

The Insolvency Index from Experian®, the global information services company, today revealed that the insolvency rate for 2011 rose only slightly compared to 2010.

21,070 UK businesses, 1.1 per cent of the total business population, failed in 2011. This represented a marginal increase on the 1.03 per cent (19,818 failures) recorded in 2010.  In 2008 and 2009, the insolvency rates were considerably higher, reaching 1.16 per cent and 1.25 per cent respectively. 

Experian’s analysis also shows that during the second half of 2011 the insolvency rate neither rose nor fell significantly – from a rate of 0.53 per cent (H1) to 0.56 per cent (H2). 

Max Firth, UK Managing Director for Experian’s Business Information Services division, said: “Given the challenging economic climate in 2011, businesses in the UK were pretty resilient and this was reflected by the stable insolvency rate during the year.  

“For businesses to improve their financial health and avoid insolvency, it is vital that they understand the risks they are exposed to and have strategies in place to protect themselves.  By monitoring the performance of all current and potential clients, they can fully understand and prepare for the impact they could have on them if they failed.” 

Yorkshire sees insolvency rate fall

Yorkshire was the only region to see an improvement from 1.46 per cent (1,724 companies) in 2010 to 1.39 per cent (1,653) in 2011.  This is the second successive year the region has seen the insolvency rate fall.   

Wales witnessed the biggest increase in its insolvency rate, jumping from 1.01 per cent (569 companies) in 2010 to 1.18 per cent (654) in 2011. Scotland, which has experienced significantly lower levels of insolvencies compared to other regions since 2005, came more into line with the rest of the UK with an insolvency rate of 0.93 per cent. 

The UK’s biggest sectors

Of the UK’s biggest sectors – business services, building/construction, property, IT and leisure/hotels – the property sector saw the largest increase in its insolvency rate, from 0.72 per cent in 2010 to 0.91 per cent in 2011.  1,149 property companies failed in 2010, compared to 1,345 in 2011.  

SMEs

Firms with one or two employees saw the biggest increase in the insolvency rate during 2011 – from 0.63 per cent in 2010 to 0.71 per cent.  Despite this increase, they still managed to maintain the lowest rate of insolvencies compared to their larger counterparts.


Region

Insolvencies
2011

% change from
2010

% of business population failing
2011

% of business population failing
2010

Financial Strength Score
2011

Financial Strength Score
2010

Scotland

1,072

9.6

0.93

0.84

79.35

80.91

North East

611

5.2

1.51

1.44

79.25

81.18

North West

2,539

7.1

1.35

1.25

77.62

80.44

Yorkshire

1,653

-4.1

1.39

1.46

78.29

81.09

Wales

654

14.9

1.18

1.01

78.51

80.62

West Midlands

1,994

6.3

1.31

1.20

77.63

80.03

East Midlands

1,262

4.0

1.17

1.12

79.04

81.39

Eastern

1,819

9.4

1.02

0.95

79.26

81.97

South West

1,361

0.2

0.88

0.87

80.55

82.67

Greater London

4,991

7.3

1.03

0.95

75.60

79.85

South East

3,114

9.9

0.97

0.88

79.49

82.24

Grand Total

21,070

6.3

1.10

1.03

78.11

81.03

Source: pH, an Experian company

 

Number of employees

Insolvencies
2011

% change from
2010

% of business population failing
2011

% of business population failing
2010

Financial Strength Score
2011

Financial Strength Score
2010

1-2

3,125

12.1

0.71

0.63

82.10

82.25

3-5

3,268

3.4

1.46

1.44

81.09

81.88

6-10

2,839

1.5

2.14

2.14

81.07

81.40

11-25

2,666

-0.4

2.60

2.62

81.10

81.06

26-50

1,241

0.7

2.60

2.58

81.10

80.89

51-100

612

-1.8

2.22

2.30

81.21

80.61

101-500

469

-0.8

1.76

1.78

82.28

81.76

501+

133

-8.9

1.46

1.56

85.71

84.42

Grand Total

21,070

6.3

1.10

1.03

78.11

81.03

Source: pH, an Experian company

 

Sector

Insolvencies
2011

% change from
2010

% of business population failing
2011

% of business population failing
2010

Financial Strength Score
2011

Financial Strength Score
2010

Extractive Industries

18

5.9

1.27

1.16

80.12

82.59

Oil

30

42.9

1.08

0.70

83.49

85.88

Building & Construction

3,275

0.4

2.01

1.97

75.92

77.64

Building Materials

72

-8.9

1.96

2.09

78.31

79.66

Chemicals Industry

35

-31.4

1.31

1.84

80.12

81.57

Diversified Industrials

459

-2.1

2.19

2.17

76.68

77.95

Electricals

145

0.7

1.61

1.62

78.28

79.24

Engineering

674

-10.7

1.71

1.92

78.49

79.32

Printing, Paper & Packaging

51

4.1

1.57

1.69

78.12

78.40

Textiles & Clothing

265

-0.4

1.83

1.88

74.69

76.56

Breweries

7

0.0

1.48

1.47

75.68

79.64

Spirits, Wine & Tobacco

1

-66.7

0.22

0.62

78.20

82.40

Food Manufacturing

109

18.5

1.66

1.55

76.54

77.85

Pharmaceuticals

17

0.0

1.33

1.50

81.66

81.61

Wholesaling

931

-3.4

1.53

1.53

78.19

79.74

Leisure & Hotels

1,586

10.5

1.82

1.69

77.03

79.18

Media

578

-18.8

0.93

1.11

78.38

80.65

Food Retailing

196

7.7

1.23

1.20

73.21

75.99

Non-Food Retailing

1,251

14.1

1.49

1.29

76.70

78.85

Servicing / Repair

89

-11.0

1.17

1.22

80.87

82.22

Transport

726

5.5

1.39

1.33

76.96

78.40

Utilities

20

33.3

0.84

0.71

75.48

79.82

Postal & Telecommunications

125

-4.6

1.52

1.53

73.62

76.25

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing

107

9.2

0.51

0.46

83.47

85.13

Banking & Financial Services

771

2.9

1.53

1.45

81.97

84.16

Health & Household

5

25.0

0.59

0.46

77.38

79.21

Business Services

4,985

12.1

0.94

0.83

77.74

81.45

Hiring & Leasing

251

2.9

1.87

1.81

80.37

81.42

Property

1,345

17.1

0.91

0.72

80.19

82.70

Other Services

1,189

20.2

0.54

0.48

83.23

85.79

Plastics & Rubber

153

7.0

2.30

2.27

77.31

77.99

Insurance

139

21.9

1.22

0.98

82.67

84.28

IT

688

-2.8

0.65

0.65

80.18

83.49

Motor Traders

476

19.0

1.35

1.13

78.71

79.99

Grand total

21,070

6.3

1.10

1.03

78.11

81.03

Source: pH, an Experian company