FY2017 Bankruptcy Filings
767,721 total filings nationwide (-3.4% from FY2016)
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
767,721
Total
100.0% of total
498,561
Chapter 7
64.9% of total
257,017
Chapter 13
33.5% of total
7,183
Chapter 11
0.9% of total
616
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
25,127
Business
3.3% of total
States by Total Filings — FY2017
| Rank | State | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 100,042 |
| 2 | Texas | 62,357 |
| 3 | Florida | 62,140 |
| 4 | Georgia | 55,080 |
| 5 | New York | 41,793 |
| 6 | Illinois | 34,550 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 34,550 |
| 8 | Ohio | 33,884 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 29,139 |
| 10 | Michigan | 27,557 |
| 11 | Alabama | 26,641 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 26,608 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 25,975 |
| 14 | Arizona | 23,447 |
| 15 | Virginia | 21,230 |
| 16 | Indiana | 20,945 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 18,066 |
| 18 | Missouri | 18,066 |
| 19 | Washington | 18,066 |
| 20 | Maryland | 16,199 |
| 21 | Nevada | 15,567 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 14,902 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 14,902 |
| 24 | Colorado | 14,618 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 14,111 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 13,320 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 13,320 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 13,162 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 12,371 |
| 30 | Oregon | 12,371 |
| 31 | Utah | 11,739 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 9,239 |
| 33 | Kansas | 8,891 |
| 34 | Iowa | 7,626 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 6,077 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 6,076 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 5,411 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 5,127 |
| 39 | Idaho | 4,652 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 4,494 |
| 41 | Maine | 2,993 |
| 42 | Delaware | 2,991 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 2,880 |
| 44 | Montana | 2,248 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 2,248 |
| 46 | Alaska | 1,966 |
| 47 | Vermont | 1,457 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 1,457 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 1,299 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 1,299 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 1,174 |
What the FY2017 National Data Shows
Federal bankruptcy courts recorded 767,721 total filings across all chapters in FY2017 — a decrease of 3.4% from the 794,492 cases filed in FY2016. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 64.9% of the national caseload (498,561 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 33.5% (257,017 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 0.94% (7,183 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 616.
Business filings represented 3.3% of FY2017 activity (25,127 cases), leaving 742,594 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration matters: the top 51 states by volume — led by California with 100,042 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.