Bankruptcy Filings Drop 10 Percent in Calendar Year 2015

During the 12-month period ending December 31, 2015, 844,495 cases were filed in federal bankruptcy courts, down from the 936,795 bankruptcy cases filed in calendar year 2014—a 9.9 percent drop in filings. This is the lowest number of bankruptcy filings for any 12-month period since 2007, and the fifth consecutive calendar year that filings have fallen. 

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts also released the following statistics:

• Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2015. (Table F-2, Business and Nonbusiness Commenced by Chapter),
• 2014 and 2015 Bankruptcy Cases Commenced, Terminated and Pending (Table F),
• Three-month filings for October-December 2015 (Table F-2, 3-Month) and filings by month for October 2015, November 2015, and December 2015 (Tables F-2 by Month), 
• Bankruptcy filings by county (Report F-5A).