FY2019 Bankruptcy Filings
774,940 total filings nationwide (-0.6% from FY2018)
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
774,940
Total
100.0% of total
481,050
Chapter 7
62.1% of total
281,986
Chapter 13
36.4% of total
6,959
Chapter 11
0.9% of total
531
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
22,780
Business
2.9% of total
States by Total Filings — FY2019
| Rank | State | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 100,983 |
| 2 | Texas | 62,943 |
| 3 | Florida | 62,724 |
| 4 | Georgia | 55,598 |
| 5 | New York | 42,186 |
| 6 | Illinois | 34,875 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 34,875 |
| 8 | Ohio | 34,203 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 29,413 |
| 10 | Michigan | 27,816 |
| 11 | Alabama | 26,891 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 26,858 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 26,219 |
| 14 | Arizona | 23,668 |
| 15 | Virginia | 21,429 |
| 16 | Indiana | 21,142 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 18,236 |
| 18 | Missouri | 18,236 |
| 19 | Washington | 18,236 |
| 20 | Maryland | 16,352 |
| 21 | Nevada | 15,713 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 15,042 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 15,042 |
| 24 | Colorado | 14,755 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 14,244 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 13,446 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 13,446 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 13,286 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 12,488 |
| 30 | Oregon | 12,488 |
| 31 | Utah | 11,849 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 9,326 |
| 33 | Kansas | 8,975 |
| 34 | Iowa | 7,698 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 6,134 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 6,133 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 5,462 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 5,175 |
| 39 | Idaho | 4,696 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 4,536 |
| 41 | Maine | 3,021 |
| 42 | Delaware | 3,019 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 2,908 |
| 44 | Montana | 2,269 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 2,269 |
| 46 | Alaska | 1,985 |
| 47 | Vermont | 1,471 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 1,471 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 1,311 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 1,311 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 1,185 |
What the FY2019 National Data Shows
Federal bankruptcy courts recorded 774,940 total filings across all chapters in FY2019 — a decrease of 0.6% from the 779,828 cases filed in FY2018. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 62.1% of the national caseload (481,050 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 36.4% (281,986 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 0.90% (6,959 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 531.
Business filings represented 2.9% of FY2019 activity (22,780 cases), leaving 752,160 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration matters: the top 51 states by volume — led by California with 100,983 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.