Last updated: 10 June 2026. This page brings together the key statistics on company formation in Ireland: new incorporations, the size of the register, strike-offs, insolvencies and beneficial ownership compliance. Figures are drawn from the Companies Registration Office (CRO), the Register of Beneficial Ownership (RBO), the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA), Deloitte Ireland and CRIF Vision-net, with sources listed at the end. You are welcome to cite these figures; please link to this page as the reference.

Key figures at a glance

• 26,352 new companies were incorporated in Ireland in 2025, a record year and a rise of about 9% on 2024.
• Over 340,000 companies were on the Irish register at the end of 2025 (324,531 at end-2024).
• 7,263 start-ups were registered in Q1 2026, up 14% year on year (CRIF Vision-net).
• Over 35,000 companies were flagged at risk of involuntary strike-off when CRO enforcement resumed in August 2025.
• 88.17% of live Irish companies had filed beneficial ownership details with the RBO by the end of 2024.

New company incorporations by year

The momentum carried into 2026: CRIF Vision-net recorded 7,263 new start-ups in Q1 2026, a 14% increase year on year. Construction (+32%), computing (+63%) and manufacturing (+46%) grew fastest, while professional services remained the largest category with 1,327 registrations. Dublin accounted for 2,096 new companies (+17.7%) and Cork for 736 (+16.6%).

The register

At the end of 2024 there were 324,531 companies on the Irish register, alongside 685,249 registered business names. By the end of 2025 the register had passed 340,000 companies. The CRO received 566,827 submissions in 2024, more than 95% of them filed electronically; preliminary 2025 reporting puts filings at 579,316 documents, again over 95% e-filed. Annual return filings grew from 240,223 in 2022 to 273,376 in 2024.

Closures: liquidations, strike-offs and insolvencies

Total liquidations recorded by the CRO rose from 2,389 in 2023 to 4,433 in 2024, a figure that includes solvent members’ voluntary liquidations. Formal corporate insolvencies tracked by Deloitte Ireland tell a steadier story: 875 in 2024 (the highest since 2016), easing to 812 in 2025 (-7%). Of the 2025 insolvencies, creditors’ voluntary liquidations made up 66% (535 cases), court liquidations rose 58% to 104, and receiverships rose 30% to 130. Services accounted for 43% of insolvencies and hospitality for 16%.

Voluntary strike-offs have stayed in a narrow band: 7,033 (2021), 6,376 (2022), 6,227 (2023) and 6,737 (2024). Restorations to the register have fallen steadily, from 140 in 2021 to 47 in 2024.

Enforcement is back

CRO involuntary strike-off enforcement, paused in March 2020, resumed in August 2025 with more than 35,000 companies flagged as at risk, mostly for unfiled annual returns. The first batch of resumed strike-offs was dissolved on 14 January 2026 and weekly strike-offs are continuing. Before the pause, the CRO struck off roughly 11,000 companies a year. Late filing fees brought in EUR 9.7 million in 2024, paid by around 16,073 companies (about EUR 603 on average). The Corporate Enforcement Authority reported a 40% rise in director restrictions and disqualifications in 2024. Our analysis of the resumed campaign: CRO enforcement returns.

Beneficial ownership (RBO)

By the end of 2024, 276,891 companies had filed beneficial ownership details with the RBO, 88.17% of live companies. The RBO received 84,314 submissions in 2024 and rejected 12,560 of them, a 21.1% rejection rate, most commonly for mismatched personal details. Enforcement included 578 warning letters, 31 court cases and 11 convictions. Since 3 December 2024 the registrar can also strike off companies for RBO non-compliance. See our step-by-step RBO filing guide.

How long does incorporation take?

The CRO’s stated target for an ordinary online A1 application is 10 working days, or 5 working days under the Fe Phrainn scheme. In practice the queue moves with filing volumes: in early June 2026, following record incorporation numbers, the CRO was processing ordinary A1 applications received around 17 working days earlier. The step-by-step process is covered in our guide to registering a company in Ireland.

Sources

• CRO Annual Report 2024 (PDF) and prior CRO annual reports (2021, 2022)
• RBO Annual Report 2024 (PDF)
• Corporate Enforcement Authority annual reports
• Deloitte Ireland insolvency statistics 2025
• CRIF Vision-net Q1 2026 via ThinkBusiness
• CRO registration methods and processing targets

Note: the CRO Annual Report 2025 is expected in mid-2026; 2025 register and filing totals above are preliminary figures from secondary reporting and will be updated when the official report is published.