Atradius Report: B2B Payment Practices Worsen in Central and Eastern Europe
A new report from Atradius Kreditversicherung indicates a worsening trend in business-to-business payment behaviour across Central and Eastern Europe. More companies are reporting an increase in late payments.
Business-to-business payment practices in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) show a clear deterioration, according to a new report by Atradius Kreditversicherung. The "B2B payment practices trends in Central and Eastern Europe 2025" survey reveals a significant increase in companies experiencing late payments compared to those seeing improvements.
The survey indicates that overdue invoices constitute an average of 53% of all B2B credit sales in the CEE region. Bad debts stand at approximately 8% of total B2B invoices, with the Czech Republic experiencing the most severe impact. Many businesses are struggling to unlock liquidity, as inventory levels have stagnated or increased, tying up further capital.
Looking ahead, over half of companies in the CEE region (54%) anticipate a rise in B2B customer insolvencies in the coming months. This suggests growing concerns about payment defaults and increasing financial pressure on businesses.
To manage cash flow challenges, many companies have maintained stable Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) and Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) while avoiding significant inventory build-ups. Bank loans, supplier credit, and invoice financing are the primary methods used to bridge working capital gaps.
The report is based on Atradius's annual "Payment Practices Barometer" survey. The 2025 CEE survey included companies from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Türkiye.