Finance: Schufa: More consumers are slipping into payment difficulties

Given the high cost of living and the weak economy, more consumers in Germany are experiencing payment difficulties, according to a Schufa evaluation. Last year, the proportion of consumers with payment problems rose to 8.1 percent, said the business credit agency in Wiesbaden. In the previous year the value was 7.9 percent.

“An increasing number of consumers are coming under financial pressure,” explained Schufa CEO Tanja Birkholz. However, she does not see a “debt crisis” in Germany.

The increase in consumers who are unable to pay bills or loan installments on time is explained by an increased number of people who are reported to Schufa by corporate customers or banks because of such problems.

More people are in financial trouble for the first time

The credit agency sees the fact that significantly more people are experiencing payment difficulties for the first time as a clear sign of the growing pressure. Their number increased by 12 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year. Financial bottlenecks in private households have been observed for the first time since the inflation surge in mid-2021 to 2023. The number of applications for personal bankruptcy also rose again last year, by 8.3 percent to 88,000.

“The increase in over-indebtedness reflects the increasing financial burdens on consumers. Since 2022, they have had to pay significantly higher prices, especially for food and energy," says Schufa's risk and credit compass. However, the number of new private bankruptcies was below the highs from 2006 to 2012, when more than 100,000 corresponding applications were submitted. “There can be no talk of a wave of German bankruptcies,” Schufa head Birkholz told “Focus”.

30 to 49 year olds are most often over-indebted

More than half of the new personal bankruptcies last year were filed by people aged 30 to 49. A further 13 percent were in the 20 to 29 year old age group. One percent of people who wanted to get out of debt through personal bankruptcy were over 74 years old. According to the analysis, 58 percent of the applicants were men and 42 percent women.

According to the information, the evaluation is based on historical data in Schufa's archived database as of December 31, 2025 on around 69 million consumers in Germany.