OPTEN: The annual decrease may again be in the order of tens of thousands

According to OPTEN data, at the end of the third quarter of 2025, 496.6 thousand operating partnerships were registered. This year, the number of domestic companies has decreased by an average of about a thousand per month – almost the same rate as last year. If the trend continues, the number of companies may decrease by 10-12 thousand in 2025 as well, meaning that the shrinkage of 2024 may be repeated. Although the decline continues, the company structure is gradually becoming cleaner: the average size and stability of businesses remaining on the market are increasing, which strengthens the economy’s long-term resilience.

The trade and construction industries suffered the greatest losses from the decline this year: in the former sector, more than 3.6 thousand companies were lost by September, and in the latter, about 1.4 thousand. The weakness of the construction industry can be mainly explained by the decline in investments and high financing costs, while in trade, the moderate level of household consumption is causing difficulties. Although the two sectors continue to operate in a difficult environment, the outlook has not deteriorated further, which suggests some stabilization.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the domestic entrepreneurial community to renew itself

This year’s three-quarter data clearly outline the direction in which the domestic company structure is moving. The spirit of entrepreneurship is decreasing dramatically: while more than 25 thousand new joint ventures were established in 2021, only 16.5 thousand in 2025, which represents a five-year low. In parallel, the number of closures is continuously increasing: compared to the low point in 2021 after the epidemic, 25.5 thousand companies had closed their doors by the end of September this year.

The number of company court proceedings set a record in 2022, following the end of the moratoriums. Although it has been decreasing since then, 33.5 thousand new procedures were still registered in 2025. All this clearly shows that the business world is less and less able to replace the closures, the number of entrepreneurs is permanently shrinking, and the economy’s renewable capacity is also weakening.

The trend is not breaking: company founding remains subdued

In September, the number of newly founded partnerships remained well below two thousand, while in the same period last year it still exceeded two thousand. Due to seasonality, this represents an increase of about 30 percent compared to the previous month, but in annual comparison the trend is still downward. In the first nine months of the year, a total of 16.5 thousand new companies were established, which is 7.9 percent less than a year earlier.

In international comparison, the Hungarian company founding rate – which is around 4 percent annually – is considered average, falling short of the 5–6 percent average of Central European countries, but at the same time more stable than Western European values, which are often below 3 percent.

“The declining desire to start a company in itself is not necessarily a problem, but there is already a structural risk behind the trend. The economy’s flexibility and ability to renew itself are largely provided by new entrants, who bring innovation, new business models and fresh capital. If this dynamic weakens, the economy will be less able to respond to changes in the long term.” – said Csaba Alföldi, OPTEN’s company information expert.

The number of company court proceedings remains high

3.7 thousand new company court proceedings were initiated in September, which is more than a third higher than the August figure. Since the beginning of the year, 33.5 thousand proceedings have been initiated, which is only a minimal decrease compared to last year, but still indicates a high level.

Most cases concern the trade and construction industries, with 8 thousand in the former and over 6 thousand in the latter. More than 70 percent of the proceedings are related to debts or irregular operations, while less than a third are voluntary liquidations. The most stable sector is human health, the riskiest still remains the construction industry and trade, the development of which may also affect the economic trends of the next period.

The stabilization of the macroeconomic environment and the easing of financing conditions may favor the revival of entrepreneurial activity, so that in 2026 the trend of the decline in the number of companies that has lasted for several years may slow down, or even stop.