FY2021 Bankruptcy Filings
430,196 total filings nationwide (-29.1% from FY2020)
SLUMP CUT CH7-LED CONSUMER
Statistical information only, not legal advice. This page does not recommend whether to file.
430,196
Total
100.0% of total
308,746
Chapter 7
71.8% of total
115,352
Chapter 13
26.8% of total
5,569
Chapter 11
1.3% of total
336
Chapter 12
0.1% of total
16,027
Business
3.7% of total
FY2021 Chapter 7-heavy mix (71.8% liquidation)
AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, FY2021 · SLUMP · CUT · CH7-LED. Shares use the same national total.
- Ch. 7 71.8%
- Ch. 13 26.8%
- Ch. 11 1.3%
- Business 3.7%
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.
Chapter 7-heavy national mix
Chapter 7 liquidations are 71.8% of FY2021 filings, upper-third Chapter 7 share across FY2015–FY2024.
FY2021 in the light-volume third
430,196 FY2021 filings put this year in the lightest third of the AOUSC window, a decrease of 29.1% vs FY2020's 606,428; absolute counts are small enough that chapter-mix shifts matter more than raw totals. Chapter 7 liquidations dominate at 71.8% (308,746 cases), upper-third Chapter 7 share, with Chapter 13 at 26.8% and Chapter 11 at 1.29%. Chapter 12 totaled 336.
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 spiked to 3.7% (16,027 cases), upper-third business share, leaving 414,169 consumer filings. Top 51 states, led by California (43,275), still drive volume; top-three concentration ≈ 22.9%.
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 429,432 cases (Δ 764 vs FY2021); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2022 · FLOOR
ABS(total_filings) peer at 379,825 cases (Δ 50,371 vs FY2021); lower volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2024 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 498,492 cases (Δ 68,296 vs FY2021); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2020 · SLUMP
ABS(total_filings) peer at 606,428 cases (Δ 176,232 vs FY2021); higher volume · CH7-LED mix vs this page's SLUMP · CH7-LED.
FY2018 (STEADY pole)
Volume-stamp pole: FY2018 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 43,275 filings under the national SLUMP stamp.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.