Registrations of new businesses in the European Union increased by 2.6% in the third quarter when compared with the second quarter, Eurostat reported Thursday. They had dropped slightly in the first two quarters of this year. However, declarations for bankruptcies increased again in the third quarter — the fifth quarter in a row. Bankruptcies were up by 16.3% in the third quarter of this year when compared with the second quarter.

New business registrations mainly increased in the “industry” segment, up 8.1%; “information and communication,” up 2.3%; and “transport and storage,” up 1.8%.

“Transport and storage” was also the only sector reporting a decrease in bankruptcies; it was down 5.4%.

The highest rise in bankruptcies was registered in the “accommodation and food services” segment, up 24.0%; “financial and insurance activities,” up 17.8%; and “industry,” up 16.2%. “Information and communication” recorded the smallest increase in bankruptcies, up 1.6%.