In our 40th Insolvency by the Numbers, we look at our data set for March 2024. We review at how the month has tracked compared to prior months and years.

Company Insolvencies – Liquidations, Receiverships, and Voluntary Administrations

March 2024 insolvency appointments continue the trend seen last month being notably up in March 2023. Total appointments for the month were 291, this is 26% higher than 2023 and almost double each of the years back to 2019. March 2024 is 144 appointments above the long-term average of 147 monthly appointments.

2024 continues showing strong appointment figures exceeding the last 7 years for the cumulative total of the 3 months to date. As predicted March figures were up and we expect that they will be revised higher in our next article as late advertisers continue to come in over April, this occurs every year especially around solvent appointments.

We continue to see an increase in enquiries as we enter the 2nd quarter of the year. This continues to be a combination of formal insolvency appointments and informal insolvency advice and work outs.

As a percentage spread compared to the average, we have seen solvent liquidations in line with previous March figures. As a percentage, appointment types were in line with the long-term average with slight rises in Voluntary Administrations and Receiverships appointments driven largely by 2 large group appointments of each type.

We expect increase in appointment numbers detailed above to continue throughout 2024.

Winding Up Applications

March 2024 saw a significant flux, with a total of 85 winding-up applications tallied. Among these, 33 were attributed to company winding-ups, while 52 were linked to proceedings initiated by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). This data signifies a noticeable increase compared to March 2023, which recorded 56 total applications.

It has now been 12 month since the IRD advertised less winding up applications than every other non-creditor combined. The IRD continues its drive to collect the current level of arrears from delinquent debtors.

This marks a notable escalation from March 2023, which saw 56 applications in total. While there has been a drop away from February’s highs this is in line with past years but was also likely the result of the easter long weekend falling into March of this year rather than April as it has in past years allowing for less advertising days in the month.

Personal Insolvencies – Bankruptcy, No Asset Procedure and Debt Repayment Orders.

In February 2024, there were 58 bankruptcy filings, 34 no asset procedures, and 7 debt repayment orders, totalling 99. Personal insolvency figures remain stagnant as seen over the past few years. We expect that we will not see a significant rise in personal insolvency till into the 2nd half of 2024.

Where to from here?

The signs continue to point to the NZ economy being in for continued pain for the foreseeable future with it likely to get worse before it gets better, we foresee continued rising appointments when compared to prior years months as the year progresses. The OCR is unlikely to be dropped in the next 6 months potentially 1 year and inflation continues to be above the target of 2% and may be for some years with non-tradable inflation refusing to come under control.

If you want to have a chat about any points raised or an issue you may have you can call on 0800 30 30 34 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..