Bankruptcy Filings Continue to Decline

Bankruptcy filings fell by 1.8 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2018, compared with the year ending March 31, 2017. The data continues a national trend of declining bankruptcy filings since 2011. 

The March 2018 annual bankruptcy filings totaled 779,828, compared with 794,492 cases in the previous year, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

A national wave of bankruptcies that began in 2008 reached a peak in the year ending September 2010, when nearly 1.6 million bankruptcies were filed. 

Additional statistics released today include:

• Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2018 (Table F-2, 12-month);
• A comparison of 12-month data from March 2017 and March 2018 (Table F);
• First quarter filings, (Table F-2, 3-month); and filings by month (Table F-2, January, February, March)
• Bankruptcy filings by county (Report F-5A).

For more on bankruptcy and bankruptcy court rules, or search historical data on bankruptcy filings.