Total Filings
63,245
#1 nationally
State profile · FY2024 · AOUSC
California Bankruptcy Filings
63,245 federal filings in FY2024 across 4 judicial districts and 38.97 million residents, Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13, from AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
- 63,245
- Total filings FY2024
- 162.3
- Per 100k residents
- #29
- Per-capita rank
- 4
- Judicial districts
Data updated August 2026
The bottom line
California filings declined 42.5% across the 10-year AOUSC window ending FY2024.
- 162.3
- filings per 100k
- #29
- per-capita rank (of 51)
- 69%
- Chapter 7 (liquidation)
- 28%
- Chapter 13 (repayment)
Statistical information only, not legal advice. Outcomes depend on district local rules, exemption law, and the means test. This page does not recommend whether to file.
Consumer vs business filings, FY2024
AOUSC case-type split of the same 63,245 filings shown above, orthogonal to the chapter mix below.
Per-capita filings vs peers and the national average
Left: nearby jurisdictions by FY2024 filings per 100,000 residents (AOUSC). Right: California rate on the same scale as the 51-jurisdiction peak, with the national average marked.
Peer per-capita rates near California
California chapter composition, FY2024
California chapter mix FY2024
Per 100,000
162.3
#29 per capita
Chapter 7
43,745
69% of total
Chapter 13
17,531
28% of total
Chapter 11
1,930
Business reorganization
Business
4,821
Of total filings
Peer states, per-capita filings near California
Rate per 100k population (decimal share) and total filings - California highlighted
Filing Trend by Year
| Year | Total | Ch. 7 | Ch. 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 63,245 | 43,745 | 17,531 |
| FY2023 | 56,510 | 40,254 | 14,649 |
| FY2022 | 50,524 | 38,517 | 10,868 |
| FY2021 | 53,898 | 42,626 | 10,107 |
| FY2020 | 70,949 | 55,645 | 13,619 |
| FY2019 | 100,983 | 71,858 | 27,427 |
| FY2018 | 101,620 | 72,634 | 27,324 |
| FY2017 | 100,042 | 73,615 | 24,691 |
| FY2016 | 103,531 | 78,496 | 23,285 |
| FY2015 | 110,047 | 83,642 | 24,595 |
Federal Districts in California
Economic Context
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics →
5.1%
Unemployment (2023)
162.3
Filings per 100k Pop.
Filing Rate Score
162.3
Filings per 100,000 population
#29
Per-capita rank among 51 jurisdictions
California's raw volume is in the heaviest third (#1), so prefer the 162.3/100k rate when comparing to smaller states.
Falling multi-year filing trend
California in the heavy-volume third
63,245 FY2024 filings put California in the heaviest third by raw volume (#1); prefer the 162.3/100k rate when comparing to smaller states. Chapter 7 liquidations dominate at 69% (upper-third Chapter 7 share); Chapter 13 is 28% - a liquidation-leaning court culture relative to repayment-heavy peers.
Cases run across 4 federal judicial districts, with 4,821 business filings (including 1,930 Chapter 11). The 10-year AOUSC window shows filings declined 42.5%; unemployment is 5.1% (2023).
These figures describe aggregate court filings; they do not forecast any individual case outcome. Statistical information only - not legal advice; this page does not recommend whether to file.
Next reads from the California filing profile
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics for California FY2024 (per-capita #29 of 51). See our methodology for details. California snapshot: 63,245 filings, 162.3/100k, Chapter 7 69% / Chapter 13 28%; retrieved August 2026 by PlainBankruptcy.