FY2021 Bankruptcy Filings
413,616 total filings nationwide (-24.0% from FY2020)
SLUMP CUT CH7-LED CONSUMER
Statistical information only, not legal advice. This page does not recommend whether to file.
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
FY2021 Chapter 7-heavy mix (71.9% liquidation)
AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, FY2021 · SLUMP · CUT · CH7-LED. Shares use the same national total.
- Ch. 7 71.9%
- Ch. 13 26.2%
- Ch. 11 1.2%
- Business 3.4%
Top states on a light-volume FY2021
Highest 12 of 51 jurisdictions under the national SLUMP · chapter 7-heavy national mix read. Full roster on All states.
| 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 |
Chapter 7-heavy national mix
Chapter 7 liquidations are 71.9% of FY2021 filings, upper-third Chapter 7 share across FY2015–FY2024.
FY2021 in the light-volume third
413,616 FY2021 filings put this year in the lightest third of the AOUSC window, a decrease of 24.0% vs FY2020's 544,463; absolute counts are small enough that chapter-mix shifts matter more than raw totals. Chapter 7 liquidations dominate at 71.9% (297,540 cases), upper-third Chapter 7 share, with Chapter 13 at 26.2% and Chapter 11 at 1.16%. Chapter 12 totaled 1,001.
FY2021 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 represented 3.4% of FY2021 activity (13,898 cases), leaving 399,718 consumer (non-business) filings. Geographic concentration: 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.
FY2021 aggregate only, not legal advice
FY2021 figures (SLUMP · CH7-LED · CONSUMER) describe aggregate court activity under the chapter 7-heavy national mix 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 FY2021
Nearest national-volume peers and stamp poles for FY2021 (SLUMP · CUT · CH7-LED · CONSUMER), replacing the fixed Related strip.
FY2023 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 433,658 cases (Δ 20,042 vs FY2021); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2022 · FLOOR
ABS(total_filings) peer at 387,721 cases (Δ 25,895 vs FY2021); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2024 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 485,341 cases (Δ 71,725 vs FY2021); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2020 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 544,463 cases (Δ 130,847 vs FY2021); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2017 (STEADY pole)
Volume-stamp pole: FY2017 marks STEADY while FY2021 marks SLUMP · CUT · CONSUMER.
Means test guide
Source drill for FY2021 (SLUMP · CH7-LED · CONSUMER): read the matching AOUSC-context guide after the volume peers.
California (volume lead)
California led FY2021 volume at 53,898 filings under the national SLUMP stamp.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.