FY2021 Bankruptcy Filings
413,616 total filings nationwide (-24.0% from FY2020)
Statistical information only — not legal advice. Consult a bankruptcy attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
413,616
Total
100.0% of total
297,540
Chapter 7
71.9% of total
108,316
Chapter 13
26.2% of total
4,817
Chapter 11
1.2% of total
1,001
Chapter 12
0.2% of total
13,898
Business
3.4% of total
States by Total Filings — FY2021
| Rank | State | Total Filings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 53,898 |
| 2 | Texas | 33,595 |
| 3 | Florida | 33,479 |
| 4 | Georgia | 29,675 |
| 5 | New York | 22,516 |
| 6 | Illinois | 18,614 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 18,614 |
| 8 | Ohio | 18,255 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 15,699 |
| 10 | Michigan | 14,846 |
| 11 | Alabama | 14,353 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 14,335 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 13,994 |
| 14 | Arizona | 12,632 |
| 15 | Virginia | 11,438 |
| 16 | Indiana | 11,284 |
| 17 | Louisiana | 9,733 |
| 18 | Missouri | 9,733 |
| 19 | Washington | 9,733 |
| 20 | Maryland | 8,728 |
| 21 | Nevada | 8,387 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 8,029 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 8,029 |
| 24 | Colorado | 7,875 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 7,603 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 7,177 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 7,177 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 7,091 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 6,665 |
| 30 | Oregon | 6,665 |
| 31 | Utah | 6,324 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 4,978 |
| 33 | Kansas | 4,790 |
| 34 | Iowa | 4,109 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 3,274 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 3,273 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 2,915 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 2,762 |
| 39 | Idaho | 2,506 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 2,421 |
| 41 | Delaware | 1,612 |
| 42 | Maine | 1,612 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 1,552 |
| 44 | Montana | 1,211 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 1,211 |
| 46 | Alaska | 1,059 |
| 47 | Vermont | 785 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 785 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 700 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 700 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 632 |
What the FY2021 National Data Shows
Federal bankruptcy courts recorded 413,616 total filings across all chapters in FY2021 — a decrease of 24.0% from the 544,463 cases filed in FY2020. Chapter 7 liquidation remained the dominant filing type at 71.9% of the national caseload (297,540 cases), followed by Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans at 26.2% (108,316 cases). Chapter 11 reorganizations accounted for 1.16% (4,817 cases), and Chapter 12 family-farmer/fisherman filings totaled 1,001.
Business filings represented 3.4% of FY2021 activity (13,898 cases), leaving 399,718 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration matters: the top 51 states by volume — led by California with 53,898 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.