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Bankruptcy Filings Drop 10 Percent in Calendar Year 2015

During the 12-month period ending December 31, 2015, 844,495 cases were filed in federal bankruptcy courts, down from the 936,795 bankruptcy cases filed in calendar year 2014—a 9.9 percent drop in filings. This is the lowest number of bankruptcy filings for any 12-month period since 2007, and the fifth consecutive calendar year that filings have fallen. 

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts also released the following statistics:

  • Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2015. (Table F-2, Business and Nonbusiness Commenced by Chapter),
  • 2014 and 2015 Bankruptcy Cases Commenced, Terminated and Pending (Table F),
  • Three-month filings for October-December 2015 (Table F-2, 3-Month) and filings by month for October 2015, November 2015, and December 2015 (Tables F-2 by Month), 
  • Bankruptcy filings by county (Report F-5A).
Total Bankruptcy Filings by Bankruptcy Chapter
Calendar Years, Period Ending
December 31, 2011-2015
Year Chapter
  7 11 12 13
2015 535,047 7,241 407 301,705
2014 619,069 7,234 361 310,061
2013 728,833 8,980 395 333,626
2012 843,545 10,361 512 366,532
2011 992,332 11,529 637 406,084
Business and Non-Business Filings
CY 2011-2015
FY Business Non-Business TOTAL
2015 24,735 819,760 844,495
2014 26,983 909,812 936,795
2013 33,212 1,038,720 1,071,932
2012 40,075 1,181,016 1,221,091
2011 47,806 1,362,847 1,410,653

Related Topics: Bankruptcy Filings, Statistics