The proportion of bankrupt companies older than 5 years in this period is 79.15%, almost the same as in 2020 (81.32%), but remained at the high level compared to 2019 (75.85%).  The number of bankruptcies of businesses less than five years old is 20.85% in 2021, down from 2019 (24.15%). 
 
By competent judicial district, a decrease of 0.82% is reported in Luxembourg with 1087 bankruptcies (previous year 1096). In the judicial district of Diekirch, 112 proceedings were recorded in 2021 (103 in the previous year). 
 
Small businesses with up to 5 employees are mainly affected.  
 
The increase of 8.74% in the Diekirch district is not unusual due to the relatively low total numbers. 
 
 
The defaults in various sectors were also examined in more detail by Creditreform. 

 The front-runner continues to be the service sector with 836 cases in 2021 (882 in 2020), which has thus fallen by 5.22%. Nevertheless, the services sector in Luxembourg can be considered stable. In the Horesca sector, bankruptcies decrease to 116, compared to 128 in 2020 and 171 in 2019. With 244 business failures compared to 214 in the previous year, bankruptcies in the Trade sector are up by 14.02%, almost reaching pre-Corona levels (253 in 2019). Bankruptcies in the construction sector have risen even more sharply by 21.74% from 92 to 112 firms, despite the strong construction sector, but the figure of 253 bankruptcies in 2019 was not reached. These were mainly smaller firms.  In the manufacturing sector, there was a decrease of 36.36 % in 2021 compared to 2020, with 7 company bankruptcies. However, the figures only include an increase of four bankruptcies. 
 
In terms of the legal forms of companies, a slight decrease of 16.92% or 437 bankruptcies (526 in 2020) was recorded for corporations (SA). The limited liability company (Sàrl), as the most frequently represented legal form, continues to have the largest single share of bankruptcies. With a slight increase of 13.17% to 739 bankruptcies compared to 653 in 2020 (733 in 2019) the figure of 2019 is slightly exceeded. 
 
In 2021, some well-known companies went bankrupt, which also involved major job losses. At Socoma Construction Luxembourg Sàrl in Bridel, 40 jobs were affected. The bankruptcy of Bigor in Lenningen threatened 33 jobs. At eProseed Europe SA in Windhof, 51 jobs were at risk. At the beginning of December, Bartz Construction in Schuttrange also filed for bankruptcy. 
 
Creditreform Luxembourg assumes that, due to the economic transformation in Luxembourg, the bankruptcy trend among older companies in the Grand Duchy will continue to be at a high level. The bankruptcy rate for companies less than 5 years old is stable at a low level, which is due in particular to the good support of the state. 
 
The development of bankruptcies in 2022, as well as company closures, will be determined by the expiry of Corona aid and material bottlenecks in some sectors. Due to the strong service sector, however, the increases are likely to be lower than in neighbouring countries, notes Herbert Eberhard.