FY2020 Bankruptcy Filings
544,463 total filings nationwide (-29.7% from FY2019)
SLUMP CUT CH7-LED BIZ-UP
Statistical information only, not legal advice. This page does not recommend whether to file.
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
FY2020 Chapter 7-heavy mix (71.1% liquidation)
AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, FY2020 · SLUMP · CUT · CH7-LED. Shares use the same national total.
- Ch. 7 71.1%
- Ch. 13 26.7%
- Ch. 11 1.3%
- Business 4.8%
Top states after FY2020's YoY cut
Highest 12 of 51 jurisdictions under the national SLUMP · business-filing spike year read. Full roster on All states.
| 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 |
Business-filing spike year
Business filings are 4.8% of FY2020 activity (25,890 cases), upper-third business share.
FY2020's lower-third YoY move
FY2020 posted a -29.7% YoY move (lower-third contraction) to 544,463 filings from 774,940 in FY2019. Chapter 7 liquidations dominate at 71.1% (387,059 cases), upper-third Chapter 7 share, with Chapter 13 at 26.7% and Chapter 11 at 1.31%. Chapter 12 totaled 710.
FY2020 sits in the AOUSC SLUMP band of this corpus: pandemic-era relief (moratoria, stimulus, student-loan pauses) suppressed consumer filings, so national totals mark a multi-decade trough rather than a typical caseload year. Business filings spiked to 4.8% (25,890 cases), upper-third business share, leaving 518,573 consumer filings. Top 51 states, led by California (70,949), still drive volume; top-three concentration ≈ 29.2%.
FY2020 aggregate only, not legal advice
FY2020 figures (SLUMP · CH7-LED · BIZ-UP) describe aggregate court activity under the business-filing spike year 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 FY2020
Nearest national-volume peers and stamp poles for FY2020 (SLUMP · CUT · CH7-LED · BIZ-UP), replacing the fixed Related strip.
FY2024 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 485,341 cases (Δ 59,122 vs FY2020); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2023 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 433,658 cases (Δ 110,805 vs FY2020); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2021 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 413,616 cases (Δ 130,847 vs FY2020); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2022 · FLOOR
ABS(total_filings) peer at 387,721 cases (Δ 156,742 vs FY2020); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2017 (STEADY pole)
Volume-stamp pole: FY2017 marks STEADY while FY2020 marks SLUMP · CUT · BIZ-UP.
Chapter 11 business guide
Source drill for FY2020 (SLUMP · CH7-LED · BIZ-UP): read the matching AOUSC-context guide after the volume peers.
California (volume lead)
California led FY2020 volume at 70,949 filings under the national SLUMP stamp.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.