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Consumer Bankruptcy Monitor · Q3 2026 edition

Consumer bankruptcy filings rose 11.4%, but the pace of growth is easing

What is happening to consumer bankruptcy volume, where it is happening, and what Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filers tell creditors about the receivables entering bankruptcy.

Filings through September 30, 2026Filer detail: 2025Prepared October 28, 2026

Summary

Four questions, answered from the federal data

  • Are consumer bankruptcy filings rising? Yes, in both chapters. There were 594,057 consumer bankruptcy filings in the 12 months ended September 30, 2026, +11.4% on a year earlier: 375,784 under Chapter 7 (+13.5%) and 217,740 under Chapter 13 (+7.9%). The latest quarter agrees on direction, at a slower pace: Chapter 7 +10.1% and Chapter 13 +6.7% on Q3 2025, the second quarter in a row of smaller year-on-year gains in both chapters.
  • Where is the growth? Most of the country. Chapter 7 filings rose in 70 of the 72 districts with at least 1,000 Chapter 7 filings, and Chapter 13 filings in 48 of 59. The Southern District of Texas grew fastest in Chapter 7 (+38.6%), and the Western District of Washington in Chapter 13 (+25.7%).
  • What is changing for filers? In 2025, median monthly expenses of Chapter 7 filers ($3,679) were higher than their median income ($3,513). Chapter 13 filers reported median income of $4,770 against expenses of $3,699, and average liabilities of $235,355 per case, 67% of it secured.
  • What does it mean for creditors? Chapter 7 accounts for 74% of the added cases, and fewer Chapter 7 filers sign reaffirmation agreements: 18.7% of closed Chapter 7 cases had one in 2025, against 21.9% in 2018. Chapter 13's share of consumer filings fell to 36.7%.
Consumer bankruptcy filings, 12 months
594,057
+11.4% on a year earlier
Every consumer chapter
Chapter 13 share of consumer filings
36.7%
−1.2 pts on a year earlier
The mix between the two chapters
Chapter 7 filings, 12 months
375,784
+13.5% on a year earlier
Current Chapter 7 volume
Chapter 13 filings, 12 months
217,740
+7.9% on a year earlier
Current Chapter 13 volume
Chapter 7 filings, Q3 2026
97,279
+10.1% on the same quarter
The early read on direction
Chapter 13 filings, Q3 2026
57,339
+6.7% on the same quarter
The early read on direction
Fastest-growing Chapter 7 district
+38.6%
Southern District of Texas
Fastest-growing Chapter 13 district
+25.7%
Western District of Washington
Chapter 7 cases closed with a reaffirmation agreement, 2025
18.7%
−1.1 pts on 2024
How often filers formally agree to keep paying a loan
Chapter 13 cases closed with a completed plan, 2025
44.7%
−4.7 pts on 2024
Share of completions and dismissals
Chapter 7 median monthly income and expenses, 2025
$3,513 / $3,679
What filers reported when they filed
Chapter 13 median monthly income and expenses, 2025
$4,770 / $3,699
What filers reported when they filed
Median days to close a Chapter 7 case, 2025
109
Chapter 13: 1,045 days
Average liabilities per Chapter 13 case, 2025
$235,355
+2.8% on 2024
67% secured

1 · Market activity

Consumer filings are back to 79% of their 2019 level

Chapter 7 is 81% of its 2019 volume and Chapter 13 is 76%. Both chapters have risen in every 12-month reading since their lows, though the latest quarters show the pace easing.

On a rolling 12-month basis, Chapter 13 filings peaked at 434,739 in the year to December 31, 2010 and reached a low of 116,884 in the year to September 30, 2021. Chapter 7 kept falling for longer, to 217,727 in the year to December 31, 2022. In the latest year there were 375,784 Chapter 7 filings and 217,740 Chapter 13 filings.

Because Chapter 13 turned first, its share of consumer filings rose to a high of 42.7% in the year to June 30, 2023. Chapter 7 has grown faster since, and the share has fallen in every period after that high. It is now 36.7%.

The three-month figures catch the change in pace first. Consumer filings grew +8.8% in Q3 2026 on the same quarter a year earlier, the smallest year-on-year increase since the end of 2022. Chapter 7 slowed to +10.1% and Chapter 13 to +6.7%, each slower for the second quarter running.

Consumer bankruptcy filings by chapter

Rolling 12 months, each quarter from March 31, 2008 to September 30, 2026

0 250K 500K 750K 1M 1.25M 200820102012201420162018202020222024 375,784 217,740 0 500K 1M 1.5M 200820142020 375,784 217,740
Source: U.S. Courts, Table F-2 (12-month), every quarter since 2008
Table view
Consumer bankruptcy filings by chapter
12 months endedChapter 7Chapter 13Chapter 13 share
December 31, 2008714,389358,94733.4%
December 31, 20091,008,870402,46228.5%
December 31, 20101,100,116434,73928.3%
December 31, 2011958,634402,45429.5%
December 31, 2012816,271363,28030.8%
December 31, 2013706,499330,89931.9%
December 31, 2014600,885307,78333.8%
December 31, 2015519,130299,51536.5%
December 31, 2016475,332294,39638.2%
December 31, 2017472,190292,58138.2%
December 31, 2018461,897288,27238.4%
December 31, 2019465,991285,20137.9%
December 31, 2020367,034155,22729.7%
December 31, 2021279,649119,15029.8%
December 31, 2022217,727156,06041.7%
December 31, 2023251,048182,63042.1%
December 31, 2024298,049195,72439.6%
December 31, 2025342,465206,57037.6%
September 30, 2026375,784217,74036.7%
Notes and sources
  1. Consumer (nonbusiness) cases are those where the debtor’s debts are primarily consumer debts. Each point counts the cases filed in the 12 months to that quarter end, so neighbouring points overlap by nine months; compare a point with the one four quarters earlier.
  2. Arkansas reported as two districts until 2017 and as one court since; district figures add the two older rows together.

Chapter 13 share of consumer filings

Rolling 12 months. The rest is almost all Chapter 7.

20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 200820112014201720202023 36.7% 20% 30% 40% 50% 200820142020 36.7%
Source: U.S. Courts, Table F-2 (12-month)
Table view
Chapter 13 share of consumer filings
12 months endedChapter 13 share
December 31, 200833.4%
December 31, 200928.5%
December 31, 201028.3%
December 31, 201129.5%
December 31, 201230.8%
December 31, 201331.9%
December 31, 201433.8%
December 31, 201536.5%
December 31, 201638.2%
December 31, 201738.2%
December 31, 201838.4%
December 31, 201937.9%
December 31, 202029.7%
December 31, 202129.8%
December 31, 202241.7%
December 31, 202342.1%
December 31, 202439.6%
December 31, 202537.6%
September 30, 202636.7%

Chapter 7 filings against the same quarter a year earlier

Q1 2014 to Q3 2026; the last four quarters in navy

−80% −60% −40% −20% 0% +20% +40% +60% ’14’17’20’23’26 +10.1% −75% −50% −25% 0% +25% +50% ’14’17’20’23’26 +10.1%
Source: U.S. Courts, Table F-2 (three-month)
Table view
Chapter 7 filings against the same quarter a year earlier
QuarterFilingsChange
Q3 202697,279+10.1%
Q2 2026101,011+13.3%
Q1 202691,674+16.4%
Q4 202585,822+15.3%
Q3 202588,362+14.1%
Q2 202589,182+16.0%
Q1 202578,759+13.8%
Q4 202474,460+18.2%
Q3 202477,455+20.6%
Q2 202476,879+19.1%
Q1 202469,215+16.8%
Q4 202362,975+23.1%
Q3 202364,247+16.0%
Q2 202364,545+12.9%
Q1 202359,282+9.8%
Q4 202251,164−7.8%
Q3 202255,394−15.3%
Q2 202257,180−30.3%
Q1 202253,983−29.5%
Q4 202155,514−27.8%
Q3 202165,437−27.1%
Q2 202182,004−9.9%
Q1 202176,553−29.9%
Q4 202076,864−27.8%
Q3 202089,749−23.2%
Q2 202090,993−29.2%
Q1 2020109,180−4.4%
Q4 2019106,465+1.1%
Q3 2019116,836+3.1%
Q2 2019128,456+0.7%
Q1 2019114,214−1.1%
Q4 2018105,273−1.6%
Q3 2018113,288−1.6%
Q2 2018127,545−1.4%
Q1 2018115,522−4.3%
Q4 2017106,944+0.3%
Q3 2017115,181−1.5%
Q2 2017129,329+0.4%
Q1 2017120,667−1.5%
Q4 2016106,659−7.1%
Q3 2016116,910−8.6%
Q2 2016128,778−9.4%
Q1 2016122,545−8.7%
Q4 2015114,809−11.2%
Q3 2015127,922−12.1%
Q2 2015142,191−16.3%
Q1 2015134,155−13.8%
Q4 2014129,217−15.1%
Q3 2014145,608−15.4%
Q2 2014169,790−14.5%
Q1 2014155,659−15.1%
Notes and sources
  1. The three-month table counts the cases filed in the quarter itself, so it turns before the rolling 12-month figure does. Compare each quarter only with the same quarter of an earlier year. Both quarterly charts use the same scale.

Chapter 13 filings against the same quarter a year earlier

Q1 2014 to Q3 2026; the last four quarters in navy

−80% −60% −40% −20% 0% +20% +40% +60% ’14’17’20’23’26 +6.7% −75% −50% −25% 0% +25% +50% ’14’17’20’23’26 +6.7%
Source: U.S. Courts, Table F-2 (three-month)
Table view
Chapter 13 filings against the same quarter a year earlier
QuarterFilingsChange
Q3 202657,339+6.7%
Q2 202654,662+7.5%
Q1 202653,543+8.1%
Q4 202552,238+9.7%
Q3 202553,735+5.6%
Q2 202550,852+2.9%
Q1 202549,527+4.1%
Q4 202447,605+2.8%
Q3 202450,904+7.2%
Q2 202449,441+10.5%
Q1 202447,583+7.9%
Q4 202346,311+13.9%
Q3 202347,471+11.3%
Q2 202344,739+18.0%
Q1 202344,096+26.6%
Q4 202240,653+24.3%
Q3 202242,667+43.0%
Q2 202237,912+38.3%
Q1 202234,819+19.7%
Q4 202132,716+7.5%
Q3 202129,846−3.2%
Q2 202127,410−2.6%
Q1 202129,097−55.8%
Q4 202030,432−55.5%
Q3 202030,837−58.0%
Q2 202028,145−60.8%
Q1 202065,757−8.2%
Q4 201968,337−3.9%
Q3 201973,367−0.8%
Q2 201971,838−0.7%
Q1 201971,635+1.5%
Q4 201871,098+2.3%
Q3 201873,949−0.2%
Q2 201872,354−2.7%
Q1 201870,608−5.3%
Q4 201769,523−2.7%
Q3 201774,089−3.3%
Q2 201774,350+1.5%
Q1 201774,583+2.4%
Q4 201671,439−3.3%
Q3 201676,631−2.2%
Q2 201673,254−2.0%
Q1 201672,852+0.5%
Q4 201573,902−1.3%
Q3 201578,343−1.5%
Q2 201574,719−3.5%
Q1 201572,518−4.3%
Q4 201474,910−4.1%
Q3 201479,496−9.0%
Q2 201477,461−9.2%
Q1 201475,766−5.3%

2 · Where filings are growing

Ten districts file 37% of Chapter 7 cases and 31% of Chapter 13 cases

The chapter a filer uses depends heavily on where they live. In 9 districts Chapter 13 is 65% or more of consumer filings, and those districts hold 18% of all Chapter 13 cases. Elsewhere, Chapter 7 dominates.

Select any district on the map or in the lists below to open its profile.

Chapter 13 share of consumer filings, by district

12 months ended September 30, 2026. Lighter districts file mostly under Chapter 7. Select a district to open its profile.

Chapter 13 share of consumer filings

  1. Under 20%
  2. 20–35%
  3. 35–50%
  4. 50–65%
  5. 65% and over
Source: U.S. Courts, Table F-2 (12-month); district boundaries from U.S. Census county shapes (us-atlas)
Table view
Chapter 13 share of consumer filings, by district
DistrictChapter 13 shareChapter 7 filingsChapter 13 filings
Middle District of Alabama81.6%1,2305,461
Southern District of Georgia80.8%8023,378
Western District of Louisiana79.7%1,2104,755
Southern District of Alabama78.0%9263,275
Eastern District of North Carolina74.6%1,4064,145
Eastern District of Louisiana73.2%8372,309
Western District of Tennessee72.7%2,4746,617
Middle District of Georgia68.3%2,2514,851
District of South Carolina65.6%1,9763,780
District of Puerto Rico63.2%2,2313,854
Northern District of Mississippi62.1%1,7952,948
Northern District of Alabama59.2%4,3486,308
Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas58.4%3,1194,382
Western District of Kentucky54.5%2,8413,408
Western District of North Carolina53.3%1,3281,514
Middle District of North Carolina53.0%1,1521,300
Eastern District of Pennsylvania50.4%2,5792,618
Western District of Missouri48.7%2,3722,255
Middle District of Pennsylvania47.6%1,9411,768
District of Kansas47.6%2,2592,051
Middle District of Louisiana47.5%650588
Southern District of Mississippi47.3%2,9282,625
Middle District of Tennessee45.7%3,2252,716
Eastern District of Tennessee44.8%4,3883,567
Northern District of Georgia44.4%12,53610,013
Southern District of Indiana44.2%6,3064,997
Northern District of Indiana42.9%4,0873,068
Northern District of Illinois42.2%13,0859,571
Southern District of Florida42.0%9,4636,871
Eastern District of Texas40.3%3,8092,579
Eastern District of Missouri40.0%3,9832,656
Eastern District of Virginia39.9%7,7385,151
Southern District of Texas39.7%6,7094,423
Southern District of Illinois38.8%1,164740
Northern District of Texas38.2%7,9584,921
Eastern District of Wisconsin37.4%4,5562,718
Western District of Virginia37.3%2,3961,424
District of Delaware36.8%981571
District of Hawaii36.8%703410
District of New Jersey36.4%8,7765,047
District of Maryland35.8%8,7854,902
Eastern District of New York35.7%6,3813,569
Western District of New York35.4%1,675919
Western District of Pennsylvania35.3%3,0451,664
Eastern District of Kentucky35.2%4,3032,334
Western District of Michigan32.8%2,7571,345
District of Utah32.7%5,4212,637
District of Massachusetts32.4%3,4791,672
Western District of Texas32.4%6,0482,901
District of Nebraska32.3%1,916915
Eastern District of Michigan31.3%13,3586,100
Northern District of California29.8%4,3621,865
Southern District of Ohio29.1%8,7133,575
Western District of Wisconsin28.1%1,998783
Northern District of West Virginia28.1%635248
Northern District of New York27.9%2,7771,074
Southern District of New York26.5%3,7611,362
District of the Virgin Islands26.3%145
Central District of Illinois24.9%2,193729
District of New Hampshire24.6%778254
Western District of Washington23.5%5,7841,776
District of Alaska23.3%21766
District of Rhode Island23.2%862261
District of Vermont22.7%23970
District of Minnesota22.5%7,8332,271
District of Columbia22.4%444130
District of Maine22.4%486140
Western District of Oklahoma21.4%3,411931
Middle District of Florida21.4%23,0736,297
Northern District of Florida20.8%2,127562
District of South Dakota20.1%581146
District of Oregon19.6%6,5101,590
District of Colorado19.1%7,2211,708
Southern District of Iowa18.9%1,840430
Eastern District of California18.5%10,5512,401
District of Wyoming17.9%467102
Northern District of Ohio17.9%12,2192,667
District of Arizona17.5%10,8122,291
District of Montana17.2%741154
District of Nevada16.9%7,9301,612
District of Connecticut15.9%2,971564
Northern District of Iowa15.9%1,074203
Eastern District of Washington15.7%2,018376
Central District of California15.1%26,1264,645
Southern District of West Virginia14.0%850138
District of North Dakota13.7%848135
Southern District of California13.3%4,789734
District of New Mexico13.0%1,466220
Northern District of Oklahoma12.2%1,875261
Eastern District of Oklahoma11.0%1,148142
District of Guam10.0%182
District of Idaho8.9%2,334229
District of the Northern Mariana Islands0.0%20
Notes and sources
  1. District shapes are built from the counties each district reports in Report F-5A. 59 counties with no filings in the year take the district of their state, or of their in-state neighbours.
  2. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are in the tables but not on the map.

Where the added cases are

A large district growing modestly can add more cases than a small district growing fast. Ranked by the increase in consumer filings.

Districts with the largest increase in consumer bankruptcy filings
DistrictConsumer filings addedChapter 7 addedChapter 7 changeChapter 13 addedChapter 13 change
Middle District of Florida+6,119+4,839+26.5%+1,280+25.5%
Central District of California+4,094+3,474+15.3%+610+15.1%
Northern District of Georgia+2,981+1,846+17.3%+1,139+12.8%
Southern District of Texas+2,702+1,870+38.6%+829+23.1%
Eastern District of Michigan+2,034+1,497+12.6%+535+9.6%
District of Maryland+2,010+1,450+19.8%+558+12.8%
Northern District of Texas+1,907+1,449+22.3%+454+10.2%
Southern District of Florida+1,854+1,368+16.9%+476+7.4%
Western District of Texas+1,655+1,233+25.6%+425+17.2%
Northern District of Illinois+1,274+1,296+11.0%−28−0.3%

Early signals: districts turning

The latest quarter points the other way from the 12-month trend, by at least five percentage points. Districts with at least 1,000 filings in the chapter.

Districts where the latest quarter differs from the 12-month trend
DistrictChapter12-month changeQ3 2026 changeQ3 2026 filings
Western District of MissouriChapter 7+14.1%−1.0%581
Northern District of OhioChapter 13−8.7%+5.7%722
Eastern District of CaliforniaChapter 13+3.8%−8.8%583
Western District of MichiganChapter 7+8.0%−2.6%641
Middle District of PennsylvaniaChapter 7+3.0%−6.9%460
Southern District of AlabamaChapter 13+8.7%−1.2%844
Eastern District of New YorkChapter 7+5.3%−4.2%1,485
Western District of WisconsinChapter 7−0.9%+7.8%511

County hotspots

The 20 counties with the most consumer bankruptcy filings in the year to June 30, 2026: 21% of that year’s national total. Counts include cases filed in a district outside the county’s own.

Top 20 counties by consumer bankruptcy filings
CountyDistrictChapter 7ChangeChapter 13ChangeChapter 13 share
Los Angeles, CACentral District of California12,336+17.9%2,426+15.3%16.4%
Cook, ILNorthern District of Illinois8,194+6.2%6,579+1.3%44.5%
Maricopa, AZDistrict of Arizona6,896+9.1%1,473+15.5%17.6%
Clark, NVDistrict of Nevada6,894+13.1%1,226+18.9%15.1%
Miami-Dade, FLSouthern District of Florida4,476+10.1%3,158+7.5%41.3%
Wayne, MIEastern District of Michigan5,237+11.6%2,124+8.6%28.9%
Shelby, TNWestern District of Tennessee1,639+7.8%5,007+9.2%75.3%
Harris, TXSouthern District of Texas3,436+38.1%2,115+11.9%38.1%
Riverside, CACentral District of California4,592+18.4%755+10.7%14.1%
San Diego, CASouthern District of California4,441+5.7%718+16.9%13.9%
San Bernardino, CACentral District of California4,099+26.7%659+22.9%13.8%
Cuyahoga, OHNorthern District of Ohio3,635+11.0%861−0.7%19.2%
Broward, FLSouthern District of Florida2,523+22.8%1,781+3.2%41.2%
Dallas, TXNorthern District of Texas2,512+35.4%1,499−1.7%37.4%
Tarrant, TXNorthern District of Texas2,313+18.5%1,676+1.0%42.0%
Marion, INSouthern District of Indiana2,309+11.5%1,421+11.0%38.1%
Orange, CACentral District of California3,156+14.7%472+14.3%13.0%
Fulton, GANorthern District of Georgia1,952+20.2%1,659+21.7%45.9%
Milwaukee, WIEastern District of Wisconsin2,042+0.3%1,387−4.6%40.4%
Jefferson, ALNorthern District of Alabama1,292+15.5%2,096+7.8%61.8%

Source: U.S. Courts, Report F-5A, 12 months ended June 30, 2026 and June 30, 2025. Largest increases in consumer filings (counties with at least 250): Los Angeles, CA (+2,193); Harris, TX (+1,177); Clark, NV (+992); San Bernardino, CA (+987); Riverside, CA (+786).

Regional panel

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas: 30% of U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas
DistrictChapter 7ChangeChapter 13ChangeChapter 13 share
Northern District of Georgia12,536+17.3%10,013+12.8%44.4%
Middle District of Georgia2,251+18.9%4,851+12.0%68.3%
Southern District of Georgia802+40.5%3,378+17.6%80.8%
Georgia total15,589+18.5%18,242+13.5%53.9%
Northern District of Alabama4,348+14.2%6,308+3.6%59.2%
Middle District of Alabama1,230+24.4%5,461+5.3%81.6%
Southern District of Alabama926+15.6%3,275+8.7%78.0%
Alabama total6,504+16.2%15,044+5.3%69.8%
Northern District of Mississippi1,795+8.8%2,948+11.2%62.1%
Southern District of Mississippi2,928+12.5%2,625+5.5%47.3%
Mississippi total4,723+11.1%5,573+8.4%54.1%
Eastern District of Tennessee4,388+17.3%3,567+9.6%44.8%
Middle District of Tennessee3,225+20.3%2,716+7.7%45.7%
Western District of Tennessee2,474+7.8%6,617+9.4%72.7%
Tennessee total10,087+15.7%12,900+9.1%56.1%
Northern District of Florida2,127+20.9%562+2.2%20.8%
Middle District of Florida23,073+26.5%6,297+25.5%21.4%
Southern District of Florida9,463+16.9%6,871+7.4%42.0%
Florida total34,663+23.4%13,730+14.8%28.3%
Northern District of Texas7,958+22.3%4,921+10.2%38.2%
Eastern District of Texas3,809+19.1%2,579+12.1%40.3%
Southern District of Texas6,709+38.6%4,423+23.1%39.7%
Western District of Texas6,048+25.6%2,901+17.2%32.4%
Texas total24,524+26.7%14,824+15.5%37.6%

3 · The filers

Median Chapter 7 expenses run above median Chapter 7 income. In Chapter 13 it is the other way round.

This is the 2025 picture, the latest year the courts have published, so it trails the filing counts above.

In 2025, Chapter 7 filers reported median monthly income of $3,513 against median expenses of $3,679. Chapter 13 filers reported $4,770 and $3,699. Since 2018, median income has risen 35% for Chapter 7 filers and 38% for Chapter 13 filers.

Chapter 13 balance sheets have grown. Average scheduled liabilities per case rose from $180,652 in 2018 to $235,355 in 2025, and the secured share has stayed between 64% and 70%. Chapter 7 liabilities are not shown, because a handful of very large cases decide the average. Figures are in the dollars of each year, and the published tables do not say who the secured creditors are.

Chapter 7: median monthly income and expenses

Schedule I income and Schedule J expenses

$2.0K $3.0K $4.0K $5.0K 20182019202020212022202320242025 $3,679 $3,513 $2.0K $3.0K $4.0K $5.0K 2018202020222024 $3,679 $3,513
Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 2A
Table view
Chapter 7: median monthly income and expenses
YearMedian incomeMedian expensesCases filed
2018$2,607$2,761448,441
2019$2,691$2,840452,784
2020$2,698$2,861355,456
2021$2,712$2,860270,398
2022$2,891$3,025210,922
2023$3,154$3,301245,218
2024$3,361$3,517291,731
2025$3,513$3,679335,981
Notes and sources
  1. Medians of each measure. The median of income less expenses is not published, and one median cannot be subtracted from another. Both income charts use the same scale.

Chapter 13: median monthly income and expenses

Schedule I income and Schedule J expenses

$2.0K $3.0K $4.0K $5.0K 20182019202020212022202320242025 $4,770 $3,699 $2.0K $3.0K $4.0K $5.0K 2018202020222024 $4,770 $3,699
Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 2D
Table view
Chapter 13: median monthly income and expenses
YearMedian incomeMedian expensesAverage income less expenses
2018$3,461$2,720$564
2019$3,611$2,827$930
2020$3,594$2,840$905
2021$3,570$2,841$912
2022$3,809$2,991$576
2023$4,207$3,289$1,157
2024$4,521$3,529$1,520
2025$4,770$3,699$1,609
Notes and sources
  1. The table view gives average income less average expenses, from the published totals. Current monthly income on Form 122 (the means-test figure) is a different measure and is not shown.

Average liabilities per Chapter 13 case

Cases filed 2018 to 2025

$0K $50K $100K $150K $200K $250K 20182019202020212022202320242025 $235,355 $0K $100K $200K $300K 2018202020222024 $235,355
Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 1D
Table view
Average liabilities per Chapter 13 case
YearAverage liabilitiesSecured share
2018$180,65270.1%
2019$182,48068.9%
2020$175,11765.7%
2021$164,99063.7%
2022$171,41866.5%
2023$197,66066.1%
2024$228,85667.0%
2025$235,35567.0%
Notes and sources
  1. Total scheduled liabilities divided by the cases with complete schedules (not all cases). BAPCPA Table 1D reports totals, not medians. Chapter 7 (Table 1A) is not shown; see the methodology page.

4 · Case outcomes

How Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases close

A median Chapter 7 case closes in 109 days and a Chapter 13 case in 1,045. The measures below describe the cases that closed in each year.

Chapter 7. In a reaffirmation agreement, a Chapter 7 debtor agrees to keep paying a debt that the discharge would otherwise erase, which the courts describe as usually keeping collateral that would otherwise be repossessed. 18.7% of the Chapter 7 cases closed in 2025 had at least one agreement filed, down each year from 22.6% in 2019. The share varies widely by district, from 0.8% in the District of Puerto Rico to 41.1% in the Northern District of New York.

Chapter 13. Dismissals come early in a case; completions come after three to five years. When filings collapsed in 2020 and 2021, few new cases were there to dismiss, and the completion share of closed cases rose to 57.9% in 2021. As filings recovered, early dismissals returned and the share fell back to 44.7%. The swing follows the filing cycle, which points to a change in the mix of cases closing more than a change in how plans perform.

Of the Chapter 13 cases dismissed in 2025, 50% were dismissed for failure to make plan payments. Separately, 13,508 of the Chapter 13 cases filed in 2025 came from a debtor whose earlier case had been dismissed within the previous six months. 32% of 2025 Chapter 13 filers reported another bankruptcy in the previous eight years, down from 39% in 2018. A court valued collateral below the claim in 3.3% of closed Chapter 13 cases.

Chapter 7 cases closed with a reaffirmation agreement

Share of closed Chapter 7 cases with at least one agreement filed

0% 10% 20% 30% 20182019202020212022202320242025 18.7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 2018202020222024 18.7%
Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 4
Table view
Chapter 7 cases closed with a reaffirmation agreement
Year closedWith an agreementAgreements filedMedian days to close
201821.9%149,502113
201922.6%152,226114
202022.3%134,984117
202121.0%97,249113
202220.6%67,325113
202320.4%68,772112
202419.9%78,468110
202518.7%85,411109
Notes and sources
  1. A case can have more than one agreement. Median days to close are from BAPCPA Table 3.

Chapter 13 cases closed with a completed plan

Completions as a share of completions plus dismissals

30% 40% 50% 60% 20182019202020212022202320242025 44.7% 30% 40% 50% 60% 2018202020222024 44.7%
Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 6
Table view
Chapter 13 cases closed with a completed plan
Year closedCompleted planDismissed for failure to payMedian days to closeCollateral valued below claimFilers with a prior case
201845.0%49.7%1,0481.2%39.5%
201943.2%49.6%9761.8%38.6%
202048.8%52.8%1,1852.1%38.1%
202157.9%58.9%1,3442.6%38.7%
202256.4%54.5%1,3303.3%37.9%
202352.3%52.4%1,3434.1%35.2%
202449.4%51.2%1,2743.9%33.5%
202544.7%50.5%1,0453.3%32.2%
Notes and sources
  1. A termination-period measure: it counts the cases that closed in the year, whenever they were filed. It is not a cohort completion rate.
  2. Failure to pay is a share of dismissals. Median days to close (BAPCPA Table 3) covers completed and dismissed cases together. Collateral valued below claim (Table 5) is the share of closed cases with at least one final order valuing collateral below the claim. Prior filing (Table 7) is reported by the debtor for the previous eight years and counts cases filed, not closed, in the year.

Reaffirmation agreements by district

The five highest and five lowest shares of closed Chapter 7 cases with an agreement in 2025, among districts with at least 1,000 closed Chapter 7 cases.

Highest and lowest reaffirmation shares by district
DistrictClosed Chapter 7 casesWith an agreement
Northern District of New York2,94941.1%
Southern District of Mississippi2,65340.4%
Eastern District of Washington1,84040.1%
Northern District of Florida1,59436.6%
Northern District of Alabama4,00236.6%
District of Massachusetts3,1612.6%
District of New Jersey7,3582.5%
Eastern District of New York5,8931.7%
Western District of Pennsylvania2,8781.0%
District of Puerto Rico2,0730.8%

Source: U.S. Courts, BAPCPA Table 4, 2025. District practice, local rules, and the mix of secured debt all affect how often agreements are filed.

5 · Implications for creditors

What the numbers mean for a consumer lender

The growth is mostly Chapter 7. Consumer filings rose 11.4%, and 74% of the added cases were Chapter 7. A lender that plans its bankruptcy work from headline counts will overestimate its Chapter 13 servicing needs and underestimate how many accounts resolve within months.

Slower growth is still growth. Q3 2026’s +8.8% was the smallest year-on-year increase since the end of 2022, but it was also the seventeenth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. The flow of accounts entering bankruptcy keeps compounding; what is cooling is the rate of increase.

In Chapter 7 the decision comes early. A median Chapter 7 case closes in 109 days. Without a reaffirmation agreement, the borrower’s personal liability is discharged; a secured lender keeps its lien but not the promise to pay. A smaller share of filers has reaffirmed in each year since 2019, so the choice between reaffirmation, redemption, and recovering the collateral has to be made quickly, and practice differs sharply by district.

Chapter 13 exposure depends on where the borrowers live. In the Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Georgia, Western District of Louisiana, Southern District of Alabama, Eastern District of North Carolina, Eastern District of Louisiana, Western District of Tennessee, Middle District of Georgia, and District of South Carolina, Chapter 13 is 65% or more of consumer filings. A book concentrated there carries mostly three-to-five-year plans, where claim accuracy, trustee reconciliation, and plan monitoring decide what is recovered.

Each Chapter 13 claim is larger. Average liabilities per case are up 30% since 2018, with the secured share in the same range. More dollars ride on each proof of claim and each valuation. Courts valued collateral below the claim in 3.3% of closed Chapter 13 cases in 2025, against 1.2% in 2018.

Read completion rates with care. The completion share of closed Chapter 13 cases may stay low while the larger 2023 to 2025 filing years pass through the period when most dismissals happen. That is a change in the mix of cases closing, not by itself a change in how plans perform. A true completion rate needs case-level data by filing year.

Sources

The federal courts’ own numbers

Filing counts come from the quarterly bankruptcy statistics; what filers report and how their cases end come from the annual statistics the courts publish alongside them.

Every chart on this page carries its own sources and notes, and each figure links to the file it came from. The methodology page has the definitions, the checks each file passes, and what these statistics can and cannot tell you.

Methodology and sources All 93 district profiles

Appendix

Every district

Consumer bankruptcy filings, 12 months ended September 30, 2026, largest first.

Select a district name to open its profile.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings by district
DistrictCircuitChapter 7ChangeChapter 13ChangeChapter 13 shareQ3 2026 change, Chapter 7Q3 2026 change, Chapter 13
Central District of California9th26,126+15.3%4,645+15.1%15.1%+6.8%+12.1%
Middle District of Florida11th23,073+26.5%6,297+25.5%21.4%+21.1%+12.8%
Northern District of Illinois7th13,085+11.0%9,571−0.3%42.2%+13.3%−0.3%
Northern District of Georgia11th12,536+17.3%10,013+12.8%44.4%+17.4%+15.1%
Eastern District of Michigan6th13,358+12.6%6,100+9.6%31.3%+6.6%+4.6%
Southern District of Florida11th9,463+16.9%6,871+7.4%42.0%+17.7%+3.4%
Northern District of Ohio6th12,219+6.8%2,667−8.7%17.9%+4.5%+5.7%
District of New Jersey3rd8,776+9.9%5,047−0.4%36.4%+1.0%0.0%
District of Maryland4th8,785+19.8%4,902+12.8%35.8%+21.1%+15.7%
District of Arizona9th10,812+8.9%2,291+11.9%17.5%+2.7%+19.7%
Eastern District of California9th10,551+11.1%2,401+3.8%18.5%+11.0%−8.8%
Eastern District of Virginia4th7,738+13.5%5,151+5.7%39.9%+11.2%+0.9%
Northern District of Texas5th7,958+22.3%4,921+10.2%38.2%+17.8%+22.4%
Southern District of Ohio6th8,713+10.0%3,575+2.4%29.1%+7.2%+5.8%
Southern District of Indiana7th6,306+7.5%4,997+3.3%44.2%+2.4%−2.6%
Southern District of Texas5th6,709+38.6%4,423+23.1%39.7%+29.4%+47.0%
Northern District of Alabama11th4,348+14.2%6,308+3.6%59.2%+10.9%−0.4%
District of Minnesota8th7,833+6.3%2,271−1.2%22.5%−1.2%−4.0%
Eastern District of New York2nd6,381+5.3%3,569−4.5%35.7%−4.2%−16.1%
District of Nevada9th7,930+9.8%1,612+12.6%16.9%+0.7%+4.4%
Western District of Tennessee6th2,474+7.8%6,617+9.4%72.7%+9.9%+5.8%
Western District of Texas5th6,048+25.6%2,901+17.2%32.4%+19.9%+28.9%
District of Colorado10th7,221+13.2%1,708+17.2%19.1%+4.5%+20.1%
District of Oregon9th6,510+10.8%1,590−2.8%19.6%+10.7%−11.4%
District of Utah10th5,421+11.6%2,6370.0%32.7%+9.7%−7.2%
Eastern District of Tennessee6th4,388+17.3%3,567+9.6%44.8%+24.5%+5.3%
Western District of Washington9th5,784+12.5%1,776+25.7%23.5%+4.1%+19.7%
Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas8th3,119+11.5%4,382+14.5%58.4%+6.4%+12.1%
Eastern District of Wisconsin7th4,556+1.5%2,718−2.2%37.4%+9.0%−1.3%
Northern District of Indiana7th4,087+2.1%3,068+7.0%42.9%+1.1%+0.4%
Middle District of Georgia11th2,251+18.9%4,851+12.0%68.3%+27.7%+14.3%
Middle District of Alabama11th1,230+24.4%5,461+5.3%81.6%+18.0%+0.8%
Eastern District of Missouri8th3,983+9.8%2,656+13.4%40.0%+2.3%+16.6%
Eastern District of Kentucky6th4,303+18.6%2,334+12.5%35.2%+19.5%+22.3%
Eastern District of Texas5th3,809+19.1%2,579+12.1%40.3%+7.4%+10.4%
Northern District of California9th4,362+11.8%1,865−2.2%29.8%+2.1%−4.2%
Western District of Kentucky6th2,841+6.6%3,408+7.0%54.5%+8.8%−0.6%
District of Puerto Rico1st2,231+12.1%3,854−1.9%63.2%+27.6%+4.9%
Western District of Louisiana5th1,210+12.1%4,755+4.0%79.7%+15.5%+1.7%
Middle District of Tennessee6th3,225+20.3%2,716+7.7%45.7%+16.5%+14.4%
District of South Carolina4th1,976+23.1%3,780+18.6%65.6%+33.5%+16.6%
Eastern District of North Carolina4th1,406+23.0%4,145+13.3%74.6%+15.4%+7.0%
Southern District of Mississippi5th2,928+12.5%2,625+5.5%47.3%+9.1%+2.6%
Southern District of California9th4,789+6.1%734+11.4%13.3%+8.0%−2.2%
Eastern District of Pennsylvania3rd2,579+12.0%2,618+0.9%50.4%+7.3%−4.0%
District of Massachusetts1st3,479+12.0%1,672+10.1%32.4%+7.1%+12.6%
Southern District of New York2nd3,761+11.5%1,362+6.1%26.5%+4.5%+15.2%
Northern District of Mississippi5th1,795+8.8%2,948+11.2%62.1%+8.8%+5.5%
Western District of Pennsylvania3rd3,045+6.5%1,664+3.6%35.3%+3.1%−4.0%
Western District of Missouri8th2,372+14.1%2,255+7.0%48.7%−1.0%+0.7%
Western District of Oklahoma10th3,411+13.8%931+4.6%21.4%+11.3%+5.4%
District of Kansas10th2,259+7.9%2,051+10.6%47.6%+1.3%+9.1%
Southern District of Alabama11th926+15.6%3,275+8.7%78.0%−2.7%−1.2%
Southern District of Georgia11th802+40.5%3,378+17.6%80.8%+47.8%+10.2%
Western District of Michigan6th2,757+8.0%1,345+13.4%32.8%−2.6%+6.0%
Northern District of New York2nd2,777+0.2%1,074+12.6%27.9%−0.9%+17.1%
Western District of Virginia4th2,396+16.2%1,424+9.2%37.3%+1.0%+9.6%
Middle District of Pennsylvania3rd1,941+3.0%1,768−0.1%47.6%−6.9%+6.9%
District of Connecticut2nd2,971+2.6%564+3.7%15.9%+5.6%+18.3%
Eastern District of Louisiana5th837+32.6%2,309+9.8%73.2%+29.0%+3.7%
Central District of Illinois7th2,193+16.0%729−6.3%24.9%+14.9%+23.5%
Western District of North Carolina4th1,328+35.0%1,514+20.1%53.3%+31.3%+22.9%
District of Nebraska8th1,916+8.4%915−5.7%32.3%+1.6%−10.8%
Western District of Wisconsin7th1,998−0.9%783+5.7%28.1%+7.8%+13.1%
Northern District of Florida11th2,127+20.9%562+2.2%20.8%+6.6%−10.4%
Western District of New York2nd1,675+5.6%919+11.4%35.4%+12.0%+28.6%
District of Idaho9th2,334+11.9%229+34.7%8.9%+8.8%+56.0%
Middle District of North Carolina4th1,152+30.3%1,300+22.9%53.0%+34.7%+30.7%
Eastern District of Washington9th2,018+9.0%376+8.0%15.7%+11.3%+10.1%
Southern District of Iowa8th1,840+9.1%430+3.6%18.9%+15.2%+2.7%
Northern District of Oklahoma10th1,875+13.7%261+26.7%12.2%+15.5%+51.1%
Southern District of Illinois7th1,164+26.0%740−1.7%38.8%+30.0%−8.8%
District of New Mexico10th1,466+11.7%220+5.8%13.0%+10.1%+15.4%
District of Delaware3rd981+9.5%571+3.3%36.8%−2.1%−0.6%
Eastern District of Oklahoma10th1,148+11.0%142+8.4%11.0%+8.5%−2.8%
Northern District of Iowa8th1,074−12.9%203+26.9%15.9%−17.0%−10.2%
Middle District of Louisiana5th650+17.3%588−4.9%47.5%+48.6%−17.8%
District of Rhode Island1st862+18.9%261−5.4%23.2%+14.1%−11.9%
District of Hawaii9th703+5.6%410−9.9%36.8%−5.6%−11.7%
District of New Hampshire1st778+27.8%254−10.6%24.6%+36.5%+4.5%
Southern District of West Virginia4th850+6.5%138−1.4%14.0%+4.2%−13.2%
District of North Dakota8th848+77.4%135+154.7%13.7%+105.9%+400.0%
District of Montana9th741+22.9%154+38.7%17.2%+7.3%+12.5%
Northern District of West Virginia4th635+12.4%248+57.0%28.1%+3.3%+36.7%
District of South Dakota8th581+25.5%146+9.8%20.1%+5.8%0.0%
District of Maine1st486+16.0%140−3.4%22.4%+39.0%+48.1%
District of ColumbiaD.C.444+35.4%130+9.2%22.4%+23.9%−23.5%
District of Wyoming10th467+4.5%102+36.0%17.9%−8.7%+146.2%
District of Vermont2nd239+30.6%70+34.6%22.7%+52.1%+5.9%
District of Alaska9th217+59.6%66+26.9%23.3%+43.2%−36.8%
District of Guam9th18−14.3%2−71.4%10.0%+66.7%–
District of the Virgin Islands3rd14+600.0%5+150.0%26.3%––
District of the Northern Mariana Islands9th2–0–0.0%––

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