FY2020 Bankruptcy Filings
544,463 total filings nationwide (-29.7% from FY2019)
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
544,463
Total
100.0% of total
387,059
Chapter 7
71.1% of total
145,437
Chapter 13
26.7% of total
7,128
Chapter 11
1.3% of total
710
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
25,890
Business
4.8% of total
States by Total Filings — FY2020
| Rank | State | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 70,949 |
| 2 | Texas | 44,223 |
| 3 | Florida | 44,069 |
| 4 | Georgia | 39,063 |
| 5 | New York | 29,639 |
| 6 | Illinois | 24,503 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 24,503 |
| 8 | Ohio | 24,030 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 20,665 |
| 10 | Michigan | 19,543 |
| 11 | Alabama | 18,894 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 18,870 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 18,421 |
| 14 | Arizona | 16,629 |
| 15 | Virginia | 15,056 |
| 16 | Indiana | 14,854 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 12,812 |
| 18 | Missouri | 12,812 |
| 19 | Washington | 12,812 |
| 20 | Maryland | 11,489 |
| 21 | Nevada | 11,040 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 10,569 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 10,569 |
| 24 | Colorado | 10,367 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 10,008 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 9,447 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 9,447 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 9,335 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 8,774 |
| 30 | Oregon | 8,774 |
| 31 | Utah | 8,325 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 6,553 |
| 33 | Kansas | 6,306 |
| 34 | Iowa | 5,408 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 4,310 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 4,309 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 3,838 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 3,636 |
| 39 | Idaho | 3,299 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 3,187 |
| 41 | Maine | 2,122 |
| 42 | Delaware | 2,121 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 2,043 |
| 44 | Montana | 1,594 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 1,594 |
| 46 | Alaska | 1,394 |
| 47 | Vermont | 1,033 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 1,033 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 921 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 921 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 832 |
What the FY2020 National Data Shows
Federal bankruptcy courts recorded 544,463 total filings across all chapters in FY2020 — a decrease of 29.7% from the 774,940 cases filed in FY2019. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 71.1% of the national caseload (387,059 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 26.7% (145,437 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 1.31% (7,128 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 710.
Business filings represented 4.8% of FY2020 activity (25,890 cases), leaving 518,573 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration matters: the top 51 states by volume — led by California with 70,949 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.