Bankruptcy Filings Increase Slightly

Updated 3/5/2021: Due to technical changes, the total bankruptcy filings by chapter table was updated.

Bankruptcy filings increased by 0.4 percent for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2019, compared with cases for the year ending Sept. 30, 2018, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Annual bankruptcy filings totaled 776,674, compared with 773,375 cases in the previous year ending in September.

The level of filings is still 51 percent below the peak reached in 2010, during the aftermath of the Great Recession, 2007-2009. A national wave of bankruptcies that began in 2008 reached the highest level in the year ending September 2010, when nearly 1.6 million bankruptcy cases were filed. Filings declined yearly through 2018.

The following tables are available:

• Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2019 (Table F-2, 12-month);

• Twelve-month data from September 2018 and September 2019 (Table F);

• Fourth quarter filings, (Table F-2, 3-month); and filings by month (Table F-2, July, August, and September)

• Bankruptcy filings by county (Report F-5A).

For more on bankruptcy and its chapters, view the following resources:

• Historic caseload statistics data tables
• Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
• General information about bankruptcy, including Bankruptcy Basics