For most people, bankruptcy feels like a last resort or something to be ashamed of, avoided, or kept quiet. But the data tells a different story. More than half a million Americans filed for bankruptcy in 2025, most of them working adults who simply ran out of margin between what they owed and what they earned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Annual filings totaled 574,314 in the year ending December 2025, an 11% increase from 517,308 in 2024, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts<\/a>. The overwhelming majority, 96 percent, were filed by individual consumers, not businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This post covers the U.S. bankruptcy statistics by year, chapter, state, and demographic, from government and institutional sources. All data reflects 2024 and 2025 reporting periods unless otherwise noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n