FY2019 Bankruptcy Filings
768,740 total filings nationwide (+0.3% from FY2018)
STEADY FLAT CH7-LED CONSUMER
Statistical information only, not legal advice. This page does not recommend whether to file.
768,740
Total
100.0% of total
475,710
Chapter 7
61.9% of total
285,130
Chapter 13
37.1% of total
7,205
Chapter 11
0.9% of total
565
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
22,696
Business
3.0% of total
FY2019 chapter mix on a heavy-volume year
AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, FY2019 · STEADY · FLAT · CH7-LED. Shares use the same national total.
- Ch. 7 61.9%
- Ch. 13 37.1%
- Ch. 11 0.9%
- Business 3.0%
Top states on a heavy-volume FY2019
Highest 12 of 51 jurisdictions under the national STEADY · strongest-third yoy rebound read. Full roster on All states.
Strongest-third YoY rebound
FY2019 rose 0.3% vs FY2018, upper-third year-over-year change in this corpus.
FY2019 in the heavy-volume third
768,740 FY2019 filings put this year in the heaviest third of the AOUSC window, an increase of 0.3% vs FY2018's 766,195; compare against other high-count fiscal years, not the COVID floor. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 61.9% of the national caseload (475,710 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 37.1% (285,130 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 0.94% (7,205 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 565.
FY2019 stamps STEADY · FLAT in the AOUSC series: volume is mid-band for this corpus, so the useful comparison is ABS(total_filings) peer years and the CH7-LED chapter mix, not a single narrative shared across every fiscal year. Even on a heavy-volume year, business filings are 3.0% (22,696); consumer dockets are 746,044. The top 51 states, led by California (69,263), account for roughly 21.3% in the top three alone.
FY2019 aggregate only, not legal advice
FY2019 figures (STEADY · CH7-LED · CONSUMER) describe aggregate court activity under the strongest-third yoy rebound read; they are not an indicator of whether any individual should file. Chapter choice, means-test eligibility, exemptions, and outcomes depend on state of residence, income, assets, and district practice. Statistical information only, not legal advice.
Read with FY2019
Nearest national-volume peers and stamp poles for FY2019 (STEADY · FLAT · CH7-LED · CONSUMER), replacing the fixed Related strip.
FY2018 · STEADY
ABS(total_filings) peer at 766,195 cases (Δ 2,545 vs FY2019); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's STEADY · CH7-LED.
FY2017 · STEADY
ABS(total_filings) peer at 781,643 cases (Δ 12,903 vs FY2019); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's STEADY · CH7-LED.
FY2016 · STEADY
ABS(total_filings) peer at 794,424 cases (Δ 25,684 vs FY2019); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's STEADY · CH7-LED.
FY2015 · PEAK
ABS(total_filings) peer at 849,490 cases (Δ 80,750 vs FY2019); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's STEADY · CH7-LED.
FY2020 (SLUMP pole)
Volume-stamp pole: FY2020 marks SLUMP while FY2019 marks STEADY · FLAT · CONSUMER.
Means test guide
Source drill for FY2019 (STEADY · CH7-LED · CONSUMER): read the matching AOUSC-context guide after the volume peers.
California (volume lead)
California led FY2019 volume at 69,263 filings under the national STEADY stamp.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.