U.S. Bankruptcy Courts — Judicial Business 2025

Nonbusiness petitions (i.e., those filed primarily by individuals with mainly consumer debt), which accounted for approximately 96 percent of all petitions, rose 11 percent to 533,337. Business petitions, which amounted to 4 percent of all petitions, climbed 6 percent to 24,039. Increases in 2023, 2024, and 2025 occurred after a downturn in filings that began with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, although filings this year did not reach pre-pandemic levels.  

Petitions may be filed under chapters 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. Most nonbusiness petitions were filed under chapter 7 or under chapter 13. Most business petitions were filed under chapter 7 or under chapter 11.

Filings under chapter 7 rose 15 percent to 344,825 and constituted 62 percent of all cases filed. Nonbusiness chapter 7 filings accounted for 96 percent of all chapter 7 cases filed and amounted to 62 percent of all nonbusiness filings. Business chapter 7 petitions went up 14 percent and constituted 57 percent of all business cases filed, compared with 53 percent in 2024.

Cases filed under chapter 13 increased 4 percent to 203,118. These petitions accounted for 36 percent of all filings. Nonbusiness chapter 13 petitions grew 4 percent, rising to 201,784 and amounting to 38 percent of all nonbusiness petitions. Business chapter 13 petitions fell 15 percent and represented 6 percent of all business cases filed, 1 percent less than 2024.

Chapter 11 filings dropped 1 percent to 8,937. Chapter 11 cases, which typically require significantly more court resources than do cases filed under chapter 7 or chapter 13, accounted for 2 percent of all filings. Business petitions filed under chapter 11 decreased 2 percent to 8,405 and amounted to 35 percent of all business cases filed, 3 percent less than 2024.

Filings under chapters 9 and 12 of the Bankruptcy Code collectively accounted for less than 1 percent of all petitions filed. Filings under chapter 15 also accounted for less than 1 percent of all petitions filed.

Bankruptcy filings increased in all circuits. The District of Columbia Circuit had the largest percentage increase over last year as filings there climbed 27 percent. The Ninth Circuit had the largest numeric growth, a rise of 11,823 cases (up 14 percent from last year). 

The federal Judiciary has 90 bankruptcy courts, one in each judicial district except for the Districts of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (where bankruptcy cases are heard by a district court judge or a visiting bankruptcy judge), and except for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas (which share a bankruptcy court). This year, 83 of the 90 bankruptcy courts reported higher filings. 

The number of bankruptcy cases terminated rose 9 percent to 536,590. Pending cases grew 3 percent to 687,517.

For data on activity in the U.S. bankruptcy courts, see the F series of tables.

Adversary Proceedings

Adversary proceedings are separate civil lawsuits that arise in bankruptcy cases, including actions to object to or revoke discharges, to obtain injunctions or other equitable relief, and to determine the dischargeability of a debt. Adversary proceedings may be associated with consumer bankruptcy cases, but most arise in cases filed under chapter 11. Because of time limits imposed by Section 546 of the Bankruptcy Code, the number of adversary proceedings filed usually is related to the number of chapter 11 cases filed two years earlier.

In 2025, filings of adversary proceedings increased 6 percent to 17,493. This was 9 percent above the total for 2021. Of the 90 bankruptcy courts, filings of adversary proceedings increased in 56 courts, declined in 32 courts, and remained the same in 2 courts. Thirty-eight districts registered gains of 20 percent or more (compared with 37 districts in 2024). The District of Delaware reported the largest numeric growth, an increase of 2,206 filings (up 659 percent). Twenty districts had reductions of 20 percent or more (compared with 12 districts in 2024). The largest numeric decrease was a drop of 2,908 filings (down 93 percent to 225) in the Southern District of New York. 

Terminations of adversary proceedings went up 12 percent to 15,477. Pending adversary proceedings grew 7 percent to 22,495.

Data on adversary proceedings in the bankruptcy courts can be found in Table F-8.