Chapter 11 — Business Reorganization
Open-data reference.
National trend FY2015–FY2024 · 1.7% of all filings in FY2024
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
What is Chapter 11?
Primarily used by businesses to restructure debts while continuing operations. Allows renegotiating contracts, leases, and debt terms. Can also be used by high-income individuals with debts exceeding Chapter 13 limits.
Who Files
Corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and high-debt individuals. Complex and expensive — typically requires experienced bankruptcy counsel.
Timeline
Highly variable. Plan confirmation can take 6 months to several years.
FY2024 National
9,702
Total Chapter 11 filings
1.7%
Share of all bankruptcy filings
Chapter 11 Filings by Year
States Ranked by Chapter 11 Filings
| Rank | State | Ch. 11 Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,047 |
| 2 | Texas | 653 |
| 3 | Florida | 651 |
| 4 | Georgia | 577 |
| 5 | New York | 438 |
| 6 | Illinois | 362 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 362 |
| 8 | Ohio | 355 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 305 |
| 10 | Michigan | 288 |
| 11 | Alabama | 279 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 279 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 272 |
| 14 | Arizona | 245 |
| 15 | Virginia | 222 |
| 16 | Indiana | 219 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 189 |
| 18 | Missouri | 189 |
| 19 | Washington | 189 |
| 20 | Maryland | 170 |
| 21 | Nevada | 163 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 156 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 156 |
| 24 | Colorado | 153 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 148 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 139 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 139 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 138 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 130 |
| 30 | Oregon | 130 |
| 31 | Utah | 123 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 97 |
| 33 | Kansas | 93 |
| 34 | Iowa | 80 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 64 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 64 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 57 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 54 |
| 39 | Idaho | 49 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 47 |
| 41 | Delaware | 31 |
| 42 | Maine | 31 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 30 |
| 44 | Montana | 24 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 24 |
| 46 | Alaska | 21 |
| 47 | Vermont | 15 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 15 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 14 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 14 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 12 |
What the Chapter 11 Data Shows
Nationally, Chapter 11 (Business Reorganization) filings totaled 9,702 in FY2024, representing 1.7% of all bankruptcy petitions filed in federal court that year. Across the 10-year window AOUSC publishes (FY2015–FY2024), Chapter 11 volumes rose 6.3% — from 9,129 in the earliest year to 9,702 most recently. Primarily used by businesses to restructure debts while continuing operations. Allows renegotiating contracts, leases, and debt terms. Can also be used by high-income individuals with debts exceeding Chapter 13 limits.
Who uses this chapter: Corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and high-debt individuals. Complex and expensive — typically requires experienced bankruptcy counsel. Expected timeline: Highly variable. Plan confirmation can take 6 months to several years. Geographic concentration is substantial — in FY2024, California alone recorded 1,047 Chapter 11 filings, and the highest-volume states include California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York. These distributions are not random: they are shaped by state exemption laws, the means-test income threshold for Chapter 7 eligibility, local trustee and court practices, attorney fee conventions, and homeownership rates that influence whether debtors choose liquidation or repayment paths.
These statistics describe the overall population of Chapter 11 cases; they do not predict the outcome of any individual filing. Chapter 13 plan completion rates, Chapter 7 discharge denials, Chapter 11 plan confirmations, and Chapter 12 operational-restructuring success all vary widely by district, debtor circumstance, and creditor posture. This page is statistical information only and is not legal advice; anyone considering whether Chapter 11 is appropriate for their situation should consult a licensed bankruptcy attorney who can evaluate income, assets, debt composition, and the specific rules of the relevant judicial district.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 11 bankruptcy?
Primarily used by businesses to restructure debts while continuing operations. Allows renegotiating contracts, leases, and debt terms. Can also be used by high-income individuals with debts exceeding Chapter 13 limits.
Who is eligible to file Chapter 11?
Corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and high-debt individuals. Complex and expensive — typically requires experienced bankruptcy counsel.
How long does Chapter 11 take?
Highly variable. Plan confirmation can take 6 months to several years.
How many Chapter 11 cases were filed in FY2024?
There were 9,702 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings nationally in FY2024, representing 1.7% of all bankruptcy filings. Filing data is from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Which states have the most Chapter 11 filings?
The top states for Chapter 11 filings in FY2024 are California, Texas, Florida. State-level filing rates reflect differences in exemption laws, income levels, and economic conditions.
Bankruptcy Guides
Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
Data-driven comparison of the two most common filing types.
The Means Test
How income determines Chapter 7 eligibility.
State Exemptions
What assets you can protect in bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy Timeline
From filing to discharge, step by step.
Business Bankruptcy
Chapter 11 restructuring trends and patterns.
Related Financial Data
PlainAttorney
Attorney discipline records and state bar actions — find qualified bankruptcy attorneys.
PlainCredit
Consumer credit scores and debt levels by state — context for bankruptcy rates.
PlainLender
Mortgage lending data and origination stats — housing debt drives many filings.
PlainTaxData
Federal tax statistics by state — tax debt is a common bankruptcy trigger.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- U.S. Courts Bankruptcy Statistics — federal bankruptcy filing data by chapter + district. uscourts.gov/data-news/bankruptcy-data
- PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) — individual case docket access. pacer.uscourts.gov
- DOJ U.S. Trustee Program — federal oversight of bankruptcy cases. justice.gov/ust
- CFPB Consumer Credit Trends — Bankruptcy — consumer-finance + bankruptcy correlation. consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-credit-trends
- IRS Treasury Offset Program — discharge-related federal tax data. irs.gov/businesses/declaring-bankruptcy
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — household economic context for filing-rate analysis. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs