FY2016 Bankruptcy Filings
794,492 total filings nationwide (-5.9% from FY2015)
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
794,492
Total
100.0% of total
538,023
Chapter 7
67.7% of total
245,053
Chapter 13
30.8% of total
7,292
Chapter 11
0.9% of total
728
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
29,166
Business
3.7% of total
States by Total Filings — FY2016
| Rank | State | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 103,531 |
| 2 | Texas | 64,531 |
| 3 | Florida | 64,307 |
| 4 | Georgia | 57,001 |
| 5 | New York | 43,251 |
| 6 | Illinois | 35,755 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 35,755 |
| 8 | Ohio | 35,066 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 30,155 |
| 10 | Michigan | 28,518 |
| 11 | Alabama | 27,570 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 27,536 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 26,881 |
| 14 | Arizona | 24,265 |
| 15 | Virginia | 21,970 |
| 16 | Indiana | 21,675 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 18,696 |
| 18 | Missouri | 18,696 |
| 19 | Washington | 18,696 |
| 20 | Maryland | 16,764 |
| 21 | Nevada | 16,109 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 15,422 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 15,422 |
| 24 | Colorado | 15,127 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 14,603 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 13,785 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 13,785 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 13,621 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 12,803 |
| 30 | Oregon | 12,803 |
| 31 | Utah | 12,148 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 9,562 |
| 33 | Kansas | 9,201 |
| 34 | Iowa | 7,892 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 6,289 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 6,288 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 5,600 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 5,305 |
| 39 | Idaho | 4,814 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 4,651 |
| 41 | Maine | 3,097 |
| 42 | Delaware | 3,096 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 2,981 |
| 44 | Montana | 2,326 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 2,326 |
| 46 | Alaska | 2,035 |
| 47 | Vermont | 1,508 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 1,508 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 1,344 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 1,344 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 1,215 |
What the FY2016 National Data Shows
Federal bankruptcy courts recorded 794,492 total filings across all chapters in FY2016 — a decrease of 5.9% from the 844,495 cases filed in FY2015. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 67.7% of the national caseload (538,023 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 30.8% (245,053 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 0.92% (7,292 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 728.
Business filings represented 3.7% of FY2016 activity (29,166 cases), leaving 765,326 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration matters: the top 51 states by volume — led by California with 103,531 cases — drive most of the caseload, and the top three states alone account for roughly 29.2% of national filings. National totals also reflect major macro-policy shifts: pandemic-era relief programs (moratoria, stimulus, student-loan pauses) pushed filings to multi-decade lows in FY2020–FY2022, while subsequent rate hikes and the unwinding of those programs have brought volumes back up.
These figures describe aggregate court activity; they are not an indicator of whether any individual should or should not file bankruptcy. Chapter choice, means-test eligibility, exemptions, and likely outcomes depend on a debtor's state of residence, income, asset mix, and the specific district's local rules and trustee practices. This page is statistical information only and is not legal advice; a licensed bankruptcy attorney is the appropriate source of guidance for a personal filing decision.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.