All States Florida

State profile · FY2024 · AOUSC

Florida Bankruptcy Filings

39,284 federal filings in FY2024 across 3 judicial districts and 22.61 million residents, Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13, from AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.

39,284
Total filings FY2024
173.7
Per 100k residents
#23
Per-capita rank
3
Judicial districts

Data updated July 2026

The bottom line

Florida recorded 39,284 bankruptcy filings in FY2024 - 173.7 per 100,000 residents, the #23 highest rate among the 51 U.S. jurisdictions.

173.7
filings per 100k
#23
per-capita rank (of 51)
64%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
33%
Chapter 13 (repayment)

Statistical information only, not legal advice. Outcomes depend on attorney representation, district local rules, exemption law, and the means test. Consult a licensed bankruptcy attorney in Florida.

Florida chapter composition, FY2024

Florida chapter mix FY2024

Chapters25272%13088%Ch 7, LiquidationCh 11, ReorganizationCh 12, Family farmerCh 13, Wage-earnerCh 15, Cross-border
39,284 filings • per-capita rate 173.7 per 100k • AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

Total Filings

39,284

#3 nationally

Per 100,000

173.7

#23 per capita

Chapter 7

25,272

64% of total

Chapter 13

13,088

33% of total

Chapter 11

906

Business reorganization

Business

2,842

Of total filings

Peer states, per-capita filings near Florida

Rate per 100k population (decimal share) and total filings - Florida highlighted

IL

Illinois

17.40% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$21,842
Selected

FL

Florida

17.37% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$39,284

MI

Michigan

17.36% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$17,421

NE

Nebraska

17.29% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,421

Filing Trend by Year

20,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,000 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 39,284
Total bankruptcy filings in Florida by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 13
FY2024 39,284 25,272 13,088
FY2023 35,101 23,359 10,985
FY2022 31,383 22,599 8,241
FY2021 33,479 25,198 7,722
FY2020 44,069 32,866 10,394
FY2019 62,724 41,472 20,456
FY2018 63,120 41,948 20,392
FY2017 62,140 42,778 18,543
FY2016 64,307 45,886 17,590
FY2015 68,354 48,909 18,585

Economic Context

Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics →

3.4%

Unemployment (2023)

173.7

Filings per 100k Pop.

Understanding This Data

Bankruptcy filing rates vary by state due to differences in exemption laws, wages, cost of living, consumer credit access, and legal culture. High per-capita rates often reflect historical patterns in consumer credit use and cultural attitudes toward debt relief. This data is aggregate statistics, it cannot predict individual case outcomes.

Filing Rate Score

173.7

Filings per 100,000 population

#23

Per-capita rank among 51 jurisdictions

Florida has a moderate bankruptcy filing rate compared to other states.

What the Florida Data Shows

In FY2024, Florida recorded 39,284 federal bankruptcy filings across a population of roughly 22.61 million, producing a per-capita rate of 173.7 filings per 100,000 residents. That rate places Florida at #23 among the 51 reporting jurisdictions (upper half nationally), while its raw filing volume ranks #3. Chapter 7 liquidations account for 64% of the state's caseload and Chapter 13 repayment plans for 33%, a split that reflects the state's exemption laws, income distribution, and the degree to which homeowners use Chapter 13 to cure mortgage arrears rather than surrender property under Chapter 7.

Cases are processed across 3 federal judicial districts in Florida, with business filings totaling 2,842 in FY2024 (including 906 Chapter 11 reorganizations). The 10-year trend available from AOUSC covers FY2015–FY2024, during which total Florida filings declined 42.5%. Unemployment in this state is 3.4% (2023), a macro indicator that typically correlates with bankruptcy volume on a 6–12 month lag, alongside consumer debt levels, medical cost exposure, and credit tightening cycles.

These figures describe the aggregate population of court filings; they do not forecast any individual case outcome. The chapter mix, per-capita rate, and district-level distribution here are influenced by local rules, trustee practices, attorney fee conventions, and state exemption generosity, all of which can change the benefits and risks of each filing path materially. This page is statistical information only and is not legal advice; residents considering bankruptcy in Florida should consult a licensed bankruptcy attorney familiar with the specific district's procedures before relying on any pattern described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bankruptcy cases were filed in Florida in FY2024?

Florida had 39,284 total bankruptcy filings in FY2024, ranking #3 nationally by total volume. Of these, 25,272 were Chapter 7 liquidation cases and 13,088 were Chapter 13 repayment plan cases.

What is the per-capita bankruptcy filing rate in Florida?

Florida had 173.7 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 population in FY2024, ranking #23 among all 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Per-capita rates account for population size and give a more comparable, like-for-like measure of filing activity than raw totals, though the rate is also shaped by state exemption laws and legal culture, not purely by financial distress.

Which bankruptcy chapter is most common in Florida?

Chapter 7 (liquidation) accounted for 64% of all Florida bankruptcy filings in FY2024. Chapter 13 (wage earner repayment plans) made up 33%. The Chapter 7/13 split varies by state based on income levels, exemption laws, and homeownership rates.

How many federal judicial districts are in Florida?

Florida has 3 federal judicial districts: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida. All bankruptcy cases are filed in federal court, not state court. Each district has its own bankruptcy court with local rules and procedures.

How does unemployment in Florida relate to bankruptcy filings?

Florida's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2023. While unemployment and bankruptcy filings often correlate, the relationship is not direct, bankruptcy filings also depend on consumer debt levels, state exemption laws, legal costs, and access to credit. Rising unemployment can increase filings with a 6-12 month lag.

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBankruptcy Editorial

Every figure on PlainBankruptcy is rendered directly from federal court source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal court source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.