National Bankruptcy Trends
FY2015 through FY2024 U.S. bankruptcy filing trends drawn from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics. According to AOUSC, total filings peaked at 849,490 in FY2015 before moving to 498,492 in FY2024 (475,882 nonbusiness/consumer), with Chapter 7 representing the majority of filings throughout the decade. See our methodology for the exact data series and refresh cadence.
Total Filings by Year
Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, total bankruptcy filings, FY2015–FY2024.
Filings by Chapter Over Time
Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, filings by chapter, FY2015–FY2024.
FY2024 Filings by Chapter
Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, FY2024 national totals by chapter.
2020–2022: Pandemic Drop
Bankruptcy filings fell sharply during COVID-19 due to stimulus payments, expanded unemployment benefits, and federal moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures. The 2022 trough of ~388,000 filings was the lowest in decades, down 74% from the 2010 peak.
2023–2024: Rising Again
As pandemic-era support programs expired, filings rose. FY2023 saw a 12% increase and FY2024 another 12%. Economists watch filing rates as a leading indicator of household financial stress. Still well below the 1.5M peak of 2010.
Chapter 7 Dominates
Chapter 7 consistently accounts for 60–72% of all filings. Its share rose during COVID (faster, cheaper process) but is declining as Chapter 13 rebounds. The Chapter 7/13 mix is a useful indicator of financial distress patterns.
Business Filings Rising
Chapter 11 business filings rose 22% in FY2024. High interest rates and tightening credit conditions are pushing more businesses into restructuring. FY2024's 8,032 Chapter 11 filings are approaching pre-pandemic levels.