Business succession in 2026: The most important figures.
How many businesses are looking for a successor, how many are closing down, what prices do owners expect? The latest figures for the German Mittelstand (small and mid-sized companies), compact and with sources.
For the first time in Germany, more SMEs want to close down than look for a successor. This is shown in the latest Succession Monitoring report by KfW Research from January 2026. Here are the most important figures at a glance, with sources.
The figures at a glance.
- Companies that want to arrange a succession by the end of 2029. Value: around 545,000, a good 109,000 per year. Source: KfW (Germany's state development bank), 01/2026.
- Companies that are not planning to continue. Value: around 569,000, about 114,000 per year. Source: KfW, 01/2026.
- Share of companies considering closure. Value: one in four companies. Source: KfW, 01/2026.
- Average asking price for takeovers until 2029. Value: around 499,000 euros. Source: KfW Nachfolge-Monitoring 2025 (KfW Succession Monitoring 2025).
- Owners aged 60 and over (2023). Value: 31%, around 1.2 million. Source: KfW, 03/2023.
- Owners under 40 years old (2023). Value: only one in ten. Source: KfW, 03/2023.
What the figures mean.
1. The succession gap is here. For the first time, the number of businesses wanting to close without a successor is greater than the number of businesses wanting to hand over. These are not just micro-enterprises. They include many healthy companies with customers, teams and revenue.
2. The bottleneck is the lack of successors. KfW itself writes that there are too few founders coming through who are qualified to take on a succession (KfW Research).
3. Price expectations are rising. Higher asking prices meet buyers who have to finance the acquisition from cash flow. This makes flexible models like vendor loans and realistic valuations even more important.
4. More management buyouts. According to KfW, management buyouts are becoming more common again, although internal family handovers and sales to external parties still dominate.
5. It is also about investment. KfW points out that owners who have arranged their succession invest more heavily in their companies again. A settled succession is therefore also good for jobs and local regions.
What follows from this.
For founders, this is an opportunity. There are many good businesses and relatively little competition for them. If you have built or run a company before, you have exactly what a business needs for its next step. Read more in our guide to starting a business through acquisition.
For owners, it means starting early, making your business visible and looking beyond your own family and staff. Read more in our guide to finding a successor.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many companies in Germany are looking for a successor?
According to KfW, around 545,000 SMEs want to arrange a succession by the end of 2029. That is a good 109,000 per year.
How many businesses are closing down for lack of a successor?
Around 569,000 companies are not planning to continue operating beyond 2029. This is an average of around 114,000 per year. For the first time, more businesses want to close than to hand over.
What asking price do owners expect?
On average, around 499,000 euros for handovers up to the end of 2029. This is significantly more than in the previous survey.
Why do so many businesses fail to find a successor?
Owners are getting older and often cannot find anyone in their family. According to KfW, there are too few qualified founders to take over. Recently, owners have also cited bureaucracy as a reason for giving up.
