A growing number of businesses in Germany are experiencing payment delays, according to a recent analysis by credit bureau Crif. The data, released to Handelsblatt, reveals that nearly 12% of companies failed to settle their invoices on time during the first half of 2025. This marks a significant increase from the 8% recorded during the same period last year.
Regional disparities are evident, with Hamburg and Lower Saxony exhibiting notably higher proportions of businesses with overdue payments – 17% and 16% respectively.
Suppliers and service providers are facing extended waiting times, averaging over 50 days to receive payment. This is significantly longer than the standard payment terms of approximately 31 days, with an additional 19.8 days representing the average payment delay.
Certain sectors are particularly affected by this trend. The hospitality, mechanical engineering, health and social care and construction industries are experiencing the most significant payment delays, according to Crif’s findings.
Frank Schlein, CEO of Crif, cautioned that the prolonged economic downturn is contributing to rising liquidity issues among businesses. He emphasized that a deteriorating payment culture serves as a potential indicator of future payment defaults and, ultimately, insolvencies. Schlein further noted that delayed payments negatively impact investment capacity and pose a threat to employment levels.