Bankruptcy Statistics

bankruptcy lawyer directory for all 50 states

Bankruptcy Statistics

May 26, 2006 — The number of bankruptcy cases filed in federal courts rose 12.8 percent in the 12-month period ending March 31, 2006, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Bankruptcy cases totaled 1,794,795 for that period, compared to 1,590,975 bankruptcy cases filed in the 12-month period ending March 2005.

Prior to the March 2006 12-month reporting period, bankruptcy filings rose 30 percent in the 12-month period ending December 31, 2005. The increase in both the December and March 12-month reporting periods was the result of many debtors filing for bankruptcy before the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 took effect on October 17, 2005. The March reporting period includes bankruptcy petitions filed during that period.

Non-business filings for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2006, totaled 1,759,503, up 12.9 percent from the 1,559,023 total non-business filings in the 12-month period ending March 31, 2005. Business filings in March 2006, totaled 35,292, up 10.5 percent from the 31,952 bankruptcy petitions filed in the 12-month period ending March 31, 2005.Most of the data that appears in this section comes from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Total Bankruptcy Filings by Bankruptcy Chapter Years Ending March 31, 2001-2006
Chapter
Year	7	11	12	13
2006	1,432,074	6,497	366	355,756
2005	1,141,715	7,115	189	441,838
2004	1,176,654	11,649	573	465,878
2003	1,135,436	10,722	632	464,369
2002	1,059,777	11,477	389	433,107
2001	904,397	10,139	248	393,033

Demographics
Average age:38
44% of filers are couples
30% are women filing alone
26% are men filing alone
Slightly better educated than the general population
Two out of three have lost a job
Half have experienced a serious health problem
Fewer than 9% have not suffered a job loss, medial event or divorce

Source: Administrative Office of the Courts

Simply click your state of choice bankruptcy statistics

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas

Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina

North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

BANKRUPTCY RESOURCES

BANKRUPTCY RESOURCES BY STATE:

Click on a link to find a Bankruptcy Lawyer in that state.