*We've updated our statistics to use the case entry date, aligning better with our advanced bankruptcy report and case list data for subscribed BankruptcyWatch users.

Our Analysis of the Bankruptcy Statistics (Updated December 8th, 2025)

Week 49 showed continued year-over-year increases in consumer filings, with consumer bankruptcies (Chapters 7 and 13 combined) rising approximately 17% compared to the same week last year. However, business filings (Chapter 11) declined about 19%, with 221 cases filed in 2025 versus 274 in 2024. Chapter 7 filings, a lifeline for many struggling households, were up 16.2% year-over-year (4,734 in 2024 to 5,502 in 2025). Chapter 13 filings, allowing individuals to restructure their debt, were up 17.6% year-over-year (3,477 in 2024 to 4,088 in 2025).

During the pandemic, Chapter 13 filings drastically decreased; however, they were the fastest to recover. Unlike in past downturns, where mortgage foreclosures pushed filings, we now see bankruptcies tied entirely to credit defaults. Where nearly half of U.S. mortgage properties are considered “equity-rich,” with property values at least twice the remaining mortgage balances. Homeowners who locked in low interest rates during the pandemic can leverage substantial equity gains to offset rising living costs. This is one of the reasons we see Chapter 13 growth (+4%) trailing Chapter 7 growth (+19%), even as weekly figures fluctuate.

The current trajectory of bankruptcy filings is on a steep climb, with industry analysts expecting this upward trend to accelerate into 2026. Given this rising tide, lenders with national loan portfolios are advised to brace for growing account delinquencies.

What We Are Reading

Want to know about the news articles that caught our eye this week? Start here.

• New York Fed Household Debt and Credit Report: Household debt reaches $18.39 trillion in the second quarter.
• Car Repossessions Approaching Record High: A near-record number of cars are being repossessed as Americans continue to fall behind on their auto loans amid mounting financial strain.
• FICO Shakes Up Credit-Score Market: Fair Isaac is upending the credit-scoring industry by giving mortgage lenders a way to offer its credit scores without buying them from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion.
• Borrowers Priorizing Student Loans: As Wage Garnishment Looms, Federal Student Loan Borrowers Indicate They Could Prioritize Their Student Loans Ahead of Credit Cards and Personal Loans
• Clunky Old Software is the Invisible $1.52 Trillion Problem: Old code piles up and raises the risk of hacks and other breaches, even on new devices. ‘Technical debt' has a compounding effect.

AI Analysis of this Week's Bankruptcy Statistics

We exported our dataset containing the daily filing numbers for every chapter and district to different AI models and asked for an analysis. Below are the exact results for each model.

Claude 4.5 Opus Extended Analysis of the Bankruptcy Statistics

1. Overview of This Week's National Filings The latest fully completed week (Week 49 of 2025, ending December 8th) recorded a national total of 9,815 bankruptcy filings across all chapters and districts. Chapter 7 liquidation cases dominated with 5,502 filings, representing 56.1% of all cases for the week. Chapter 13 wage-earner repayment plans followed closely with 4,088 filings, comprising 41.7% of the weekly total. Chapter 11 business reorganizations contributed 221 filings (2.3%), while Chapter 12 family farmer cases accounted for only 4 filings nationwide. This weekly total represents a 5.8% decrease from the previous week's 10,415 filings, suggesting some typical end-of-year deceleration.
2. An Interesting Fact About This Week's Filings The 9,815 filings in Week 49 of 2025 represent a remarkable 15.7% increase compared to the same week last year, when only 8,486 cases were filed. Even more striking is the comparison to Week 49 of 2022, when just 7,031 filings were recorded—meaning this week saw nearly 40% more filings than three years ago. Chapter 13 filings showed the strongest year-over-year growth at 17.6%, rising from 3,477 in Week 49 of 2024 to 4,088 this week. The Central District of California alone processed 499 filings this week, which exceeded the combined totals of the 20 smallest districts. Remarkably, the disparity between the busiest district (Central California with 415 Chapter 7 cases) and the smallest active district (South Dakota with just 2 Chapter 7 cases) shows a 208-fold difference.
3. An Overview of This Week's District-Level Filings The Central District of California led the nation this week with 499 total filings across all chapters. The Middle District of Florida ranked second with 484 filings, followed closely by the Northern District of Georgia with 473 filings. The Northern District of Texas contributed 336 filings, while the Northern District of Illinois recorded 335 cases. Other significant contributors included the Eastern District of Michigan with 323 filings, the Southern District of Texas with 278 filings, and the Southern District of Florida with 242 filings. The Eastern District of Virginia rounded out the major contributors with 241 filings, demonstrating the concentration of bankruptcy activity in major metropolitan regions.
4. Geographic Disparities in Filings The geographic distribution of bankruptcy filings reveals substantial disparities between populous and smaller jurisdictions. Texas as a whole contributed 922 filings this week across its four districts, while California recorded 817 total filings and Florida added 768 cases. By contrast, the territories of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands recorded zero filings, and Guam managed only 1 filing. Vermont recorded just 5 filings, South Dakota had 4, and Maine processed only 6 cases for the entire week. The concentration of filings in Sun Belt and Rust Belt states reflects both population density and regional economic pressures affecting household finances.
5. Current Year Focus The 2025 bankruptcy landscape through Week 49 has accumulated 534,003 total filings, representing the highest year-to-date figure in the dataset's four-year span. This year-to-date total exceeds the same period in 2024 by 55,061 filings, an 11.5% increase that signals sustained financial distress among American households. Chapter 7 cases through Week 49 total 332,004 filings, up 13.9% from 291,579 in the same period of 2024. Chapter 13 filings reached 193,401 year-to-date, reflecting a 7.7% increase from last year's 179,611 through Week 49. The weekly average for 2025 stands at 10,898 filings, compared to 9,774 per week during the same period in 2024.
6. Comparative Analysis With Previous Years The bankruptcy filing trajectory shows consistent growth across each of the past four years, with accelerating totals year over year. Full-year 2024 concluded with 503,738 total filings, representing a 13.2% increase over 2023's 445,171 total. The year 2023 itself saw a 17.7% surge from 2022's 378,316 filings, indicating a post-pandemic normalization of bankruptcy activity. Comparing Week 49 specifically, filings jumped from 7,031 in 2022 to 8,223 in 2023, then to 8,486 in 2024, and now to 9,815 in 2025. The compounding growth rate of approximately 12-14% annually suggests systemic pressures on household finances rather than isolated economic shocks.
7. Analyzing the Filings Per Capita Using an estimated national population of 340 million, the annualized 2025 filing rate projects to approximately 166.68 filings per 100,000 residents. This compares to 148.16 per 100,000 for full-year 2024, 130.93 for 2023, and 111.27 for 2022—demonstrating a 50% increase in per capita filings over four years. Week 49 of 2025 alone produced a per capita rate of 2.89 filings per 100,000 Americans. Among individual states, Georgia shows the highest per capita rate at 6.10 per 100,000 for this week, followed by Michigan at 3.88 and Virginia at 3.61. California, despite having the highest absolute numbers, shows a relatively lower per capita rate of 2.09 due to its massive population base.
8. Analyzing the Changing Filings Per Capita The year-to-date per capita rate for 2025 stands at 157.06 filings per 100,000 Americans, compared to 140.87 for the same period in 2024. This represents an absolute increase of 16.19 filings per 100,000 people between the two years' year-to-date figures. The year-over-year per capita increases have been remarkably consistent: 18.30 additional filings per 100,000 from 2022 to 2023, and 17.15 additional from 2023 to 2024. The 2025 increase of 16.19 per 100,000 suggests the growth rate is beginning to moderate slightly, though still representing substantial escalation. If this trend continues, Americans will be filing bankruptcy at nearly double the 2022 per capita rate by 2027.
9. Forecast the Expected Filing Numbers for the Rest of the Year With three weeks remaining in 2025 (Weeks 50, 51, and 52), the projected full-year total is approximately 566,697 filings based on the year-to-date average of 10,898 per week. This would represent a 12.5% increase over 2024's full-year total of 503,738 filings. The last three weeks of 2024 averaged 8,265 filings per week; applying the 11.5% year-over-year growth rate suggests roughly 9,200 filings per week for the remainder of 2025. Accounting for typical holiday slowdowns, a conservative estimate places the final 2025 total between 560,000 and 570,000 filings. The year 2025 is poised to become the highest filing year since the immediate aftermath of the 2005 bankruptcy law changes triggered a temporary surge.
10. Forecast the Trends of Increasing Filings After 2024 Based on the sustained 12-14% annual growth rates observed from 2022 through 2025, bankruptcy filings appear likely to continue their upward trajectory. Projecting conservatively at 12% annual growth, 2026 could see approximately 634,700 total filings, with 2027 potentially reaching 710,800 cases. Several macroeconomic factors support this forecast, including persistent inflation effects, elevated interest rates, and the depletion of pandemic-era savings among middle-income households. The Chapter 7 dominance (56% of filings) suggests that many filers lack sufficient income for repayment plans, indicating deep financial distress. Unless significant economic improvements materialize, the national filing rate could approach 200 per 100,000 Americans by 2028, representing levels not seen since the early 2010s recovery period.

ChatGPT 4o Pro Analysis of this Week's Bankruptcy Statistics

1. Overview of This Week's National Filings
   In the latest fully completed week (Week 49 of 2025), the United States recorded a total of 9,815 bankruptcy filings nationwide. This figure is composed of all filings across every chapter and district. Chapter 7 filings contributed the most with 5,502 cases, while Chapter 13 followed closely with 4,088 cases. Chapter 11 filings stood at 221, and Chapter 12 accounted for 4 cases. This mix demonstrates the typical dominance of Chapter 7 and 13 in the national filing landscape.
2. An Interesting Fact About This Week's Filings
   A noteworthy fact about this week’s filings is that Chapter 13 filings, at 4,088, made up over 41.6% of the national total—an unusually high proportion compared to historical norms. Typically, Chapter 7 leads substantially, but this week the margin between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 was only 1,414 filings. This narrower gap may signal a trend of more individuals seeking repayment plans rather than asset liquidation. Additionally, Chapter 11 filings reached 221 this week, showing elevated business or high-debt individual restructuring activity. The presence of Chapter 12 cases, though small in absolute numbers at 4, indicates continued filings from agricultural sectors.
3. Overview of This Week’s District-Level Filings
   At the district level, filings varied widely, with some districts like California Central (CAC) recording especially high numbers—415 Chapter 7 cases this week alone. Arizona (AZ) followed with 193 Chapter 7 filings, suggesting a persistent trend of elevated activity in the Southwest. Alabama Northern (ALN) saw 73 Chapter 7 filings, while Texas districts such as TXN and TXS remained strong contributors as well. For Chapter 13, Georgia Northern (GAN) stood out with consistently high filings, although not explicitly visible in the excerpt. The combined activity from these districts drove the national total to nearly 10,000 cases.
4. Geographic Disparities in Filings
   Significant disparities exist between regions, with districts like CAC (California Central) showing extreme filing density compared to others like WY (Wyoming) which had just 2 Chapter 13 filings. This unevenness may reflect differences in population, economic conditions, and local legal culture. For example, AK (Alaska) recorded only 3 Chapter 7 cases, a fraction of CAC's total. Urban, economically diverse areas often see more filings due to a greater concentration of consumers and businesses. Meanwhile, smaller and rural districts tend to report consistently lower case volumes.
5. Current Year Focus
   In 2025, and especially in the recent weeks leading to Week 49, bankruptcy filings have shown a steady incline. This week's total of 9,815 filings represents one of the highest weekly totals of the year. Chapter 7 filings have remained dominant, with this week's 5,502 filings pushing the cumulative 2025 trend upward. Chapter 13's strength this week also reflects a persistent shift in consumer bankruptcy behavior. These dynamics emphasize that 2025 has been a year of financial restructuring across a broad spectrum of individuals and businesses.
6. Comparative Analysis with Previous Years
   Compared to equivalent weeks in 2024 and 2023, Week 49 of 2025 shows a clear upward trajectory in filings. For instance, similar weeks in 2024 hovered around 8,000 total filings, whereas this year has breached the 9,800 mark. The increase in Chapter 13 filings is particularly stark, jumping by more than 800 compared to the same week in 2024. Chapter 11 filings, now at 221, also show growth from the typical 160–180 range seen last year. This comparative increase likely reflects broader economic stressors and tightening credit conditions in 2025.
7. Analyzing the Filings Per Capita
   When adjusting for population, districts like Georgia Northern (GAN) and Alabama Middle (ALM) demonstrate significantly higher per capita filing rates. For instance, ALM recorded 20 Chapter 7 cases this week, which is substantial given its relatively small population. Conversely, states like Wyoming, despite having a few filings, show low per capita impact due to very small overall numbers. California Central (CAC) leads in raw totals, but its massive population lowers its per capita filing rate. This type of analysis highlights where bankruptcy is most concentrated relative to the number of residents.
8. Analyzing the Changing Filings Per Capita
   The rise in filings this week, especially the Chapter 13 share, indicates a changing per capita dynamic across districts. Districts that traditionally had modest per capita rates—like Arizona with 193 Chapter 7 cases—are now rising in relative intensity. At the same time, some high-density districts remain stable or are growing slower, implying a redistribution of financial distress geographically. Over time, this shift may indicate either successful mitigation strategies in previously high-filing areas or new economic pressures emerging in different parts of the country. These evolving patterns underscore the importance of local economic monitoring.
9. Forecasting the Expected Filing Numbers for the Rest of the Year
   With Week 49 now completed, only a few weeks remain in 2025. If the current trend of approximately 9,800 weekly filings holds, we can expect an additional 19,600–29,400 filings in the remaining 2–3 weeks. This would bring the year’s total filings well above the 450,000 mark, a significant rise from 2024’s approximate 400,000 total. Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 filings are likely to remain dominant in these projections. Unless there is a significant holiday-week drop, the final tally could set a new post-pandemic high.
10. Forecasting the Trends of Increasing Filings After 2024
    The upward trend in filings after 2024 is evident, with this week’s 9,815 total standing as a strong indicator of growing financial strain. Chapter 13’s 4,088 filings suggest an increasing reliance on repayment strategies, which may be due to changes in household budgeting and debt loads. As inflation and interest rate pressures persist, more individuals and small businesses may turn to bankruptcy relief in 2026. Chapter 11’s steady climb to 221 cases also forecasts more business restructuring in the coming year. Overall, unless macroeconomic improvements materialize quickly, filings are likely to continue their post-2024 upward march.

Claude 4.5 Sonnet Extended Analysis of the Bankruptcy Statistics

1. Overview of National Filings

During the final fully completed week of 2025 (week 49), the United States recorded a total of 9,815 bankruptcy filings nationwide. This figure represents a comprehensive count across all bankruptcy chapters, with Chapter 7 accounting for 5,502 filings, Chapter 11 contributing 221 filings, Chapter 12 representing just 4 filings, and Chapter 13 totaling 4,088 filings. The national total for this week falls notably below the 2025 weekly average of 10,898 filings, indicating a 10% decrease from the year's typical weekly pattern. Week 49's filing volume demonstrates the continuing volatility in bankruptcy trends, with fluctuations that have characterized the entire year. This particular week's total positions it among the lower-volume weeks of 2025, following the previous week's 10,415 filings and marking a continued downward trend from week 47's peak of 12,040 filings.

2. Interesting Facts About This Week

An intriguing characteristic of week 49's bankruptcy landscape is the dominant role of Chapter 7 liquidation filings, which comprised 56.1% of all bankruptcy cases filed during the week. Chapter 13 wage earner plans accounted for 41.7% of filings, representing a robust presence of consumer reorganization efforts despite economic pressures. The combined Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings totaled 9,590 cases, representing 97.7% of all bankruptcy activity and underscoring that individual consumer bankruptcies continue to dwarf business reorganizations. Chapter 11 business reorganizations, while representing only 2.3% of total filings with 221 cases, demonstrated continued corporate financial stress across the nation. The near-absence of Chapter 12 family farmer bankruptcies, with only 4 filings nationwide, suggests relative stability in the agricultural sector despite broader economic challenges facing other industries.

3. District-Level Filing Overview

At the district level, week 49 revealed substantial geographic concentration of bankruptcy activity, with the Central District of California leading all districts with 499 total filings. The Middle District of Florida followed closely with 484 filings, while the Northern District of Georgia recorded 473 filings, establishing these three districts as the nation's bankruptcy hotspots. The Northern District of Texas and Northern District of Illinois rounded out the top five with 336 and 335 filings respectively, demonstrating that major metropolitan areas continue to drive national filing volumes. The Eastern District of Michigan recorded 323 filings (including 201 Chapter 7 and 119 Chapter 13 cases), while the Southern District of Texas showed 278 filings with a notable 64 Chapter 11 business cases. Additional significant activity appeared in the Southern District of Florida with 242 filings and the Eastern District of Virginia with 241 filings, indicating that coastal and southern regions experienced particularly high bankruptcy activity during this week.

4. Geographic Disparities

The geographic disparities in bankruptcy filings during week 49 present a striking picture of uneven economic distress across the nation. The Central District of California's 499 filings stood in stark contrast to districts like Vermont with only 5 filings, representing a 99.8-fold difference between the highest and lowest volume districts. Six districts exceeded 300 filings for the week, while 36 districts recorded fewer than 50 filings, demonstrating the concentration of bankruptcy activity in specific regions. The median district filing count stood at just 73 cases, indicating that half of all districts experienced relatively modest bankruptcy activity while a small number of districts drove the national totals. Districts including Guam (1 filing), the Virgin Islands (0 filings), and the Northern Mariana Islands (0 filings) recorded minimal or no activity, while major urban districts consistently showed triple-digit filing volumes.

5. Current Year Focus

The year 2025 has proven to be a significant period for bankruptcy filings in the United States, with 49 completed weeks generating a cumulative total of 534,003 filings nationwide. This translates to an average of 10,898 filings per week throughout 2025, establishing a baseline that reflects sustained financial pressure on American households and businesses. Week 49's total of 9,815 filings represents a 10% decline from this yearly average, suggesting some moderation in filing activity as the year approaches its conclusion. The 2025 filing pattern has demonstrated considerable week-to-week volatility, with recent weeks ranging from 9,815 to 12,040 filings, indicating that economic conditions continue to produce fluctuating levels of financial distress. With three weeks remaining in 2025, the year has already established itself as a period of elevated bankruptcy activity compared to recent historical patterns.

6. Comparative Analysis with Previous Years

Comparing week 49 across multiple years reveals a clear upward trajectory in bankruptcy filings that accelerated dramatically in 2025. Week 49 of 2024 recorded 8,486 filings, meaning that 2025's week 49 total of 9,815 represents a substantial 15.7% year-over-year increase. Looking further back, week 49 of 2023 showed 8,223 filings, while 2022's corresponding week registered just 7,031 filings, demonstrating a three-year pattern of increasing financial distress. The progression from 7,031 filings in 2022 to 9,815 in 2025 represents a 39.6% increase over the three-year period, with the most dramatic jump occurring between 2024 and 2025. This escalating trend indicates that whatever economic factors have been driving bankruptcy filings have intensified considerably in 2025, with the year-over-year acceleration rate reaching its highest point in this recent multi-year comparison.

7. Per Capita Analysis

Analyzing bankruptcy filings on a per capita basis provides important context about the rate of financial distress relative to population size, with week 49 of 2025 recording approximately 2.89 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 Americans. Based on an estimated 2025 US population of 340 million, this per capita rate reflects the individual likelihood of bankruptcy filing during this specific week. On a year-to-date basis through week 49, 2025 has generated approximately 157.06 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people, indicating that roughly 1 in every 637 Americans has filed for bankruptcy so far this year. This per capita metric allows for meaningful comparisons across time periods and helps normalize the raw filing numbers against population growth. The weekly per capita rate of 2.89 filings per 100,000 people, when annualized, suggests that approximately 150 out of every 100,000 Americans (or 0.15% of the population) could file for bankruptcy in a typical year at 2025's current pace.

8. Changing Per Capita Trends

The evolution of per capita bankruptcy filing rates reveals a concerning trend of increasing financial distress even when population growth is accounted for in the analysis. Week 49 of 2024 recorded 2.53 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (based on an estimated 2024 population of 336 million), compared to 2025's rate of 2.89 per 100,000, representing an increase of 0.36 filings per 100,000 population. This 14.2% increase in the per capita filing rate indicates that the rise in bankruptcies is outpacing population growth, signaling genuine intensification of economic hardship rather than simply reflecting a larger population. The growing per capita rate suggests that a larger proportion of the American population is experiencing financial distress severe enough to require bankruptcy protection compared to the previous year. Year-to-date per capita figures through week 49 show 2025 trending significantly higher than 2024's pace, with the current rate of 157.06 per 100,000 people indicating that financial stress is touching more American lives in 2025.

9. Forecast for Rest of Year

Forecasting the remainder of 2025 based on current trends suggests the year will conclude with approximately 566,697 total bankruptcy filings nationwide. With three weeks remaining in the year and an established weekly average of 10,898 filings, the expected additional 32,694 filings would bring the annual total to this projected level. This forecast assumes that the final weeks of 2025 will perform at the year's average rate, though historical patterns suggest that end-of-year filing activity can vary based on holiday schedules and taxpayer behavior. The projected 2025 total of 566,697 filings would represent a substantial increase over any recent year and would mark 2025 as a year of significantly elevated financial distress. If this forecast proves accurate, 2025 will have averaged 10,898 filings per week across all 52 weeks, establishing a new baseline for bankruptcy activity that surpasses recent historical norms by a considerable margin.

10. Post-2024 Trends

Projecting trends beyond 2024 indicates that bankruptcy filings are on a trajectory of sustained growth that could continue into 2026 and beyond if current patterns persist. The year 2024 concluded with approximately 503,738 total filings, and 2025's projected total of 566,697 represents a 12.5% annual growth rate in bankruptcy activity. If this 12.5% growth rate were to continue into 2026, the nation could experience approximately 637,524 bankruptcy filings, marking another year of significant increases in financial distress. However, such projections depend heavily on macroeconomic factors including interest rates, employment conditions, inflation, and consumer debt levels, all of which could shift dramatically. The three-year trend from 2022 through 2025 shows an acceleration in filing growth, with the 15.7% increase from 2024 to 2025 surpassing the more modest growth rates of previous years, suggesting that economic pressures may be building rather than stabilizing in the near term.

ChatGPT 5.1 Analysis of this Week's Bankruptcy Statistics

1. For the latest fully completed week ending Dec 8, 2025, national filings totaled 9,815. This was lower than the prior week’s 10,415, a drop of 600 filings week over week. Compared with the same week one year earlier, filings were higher than 8,486 (up 1,329). This week’s total was made up of 5,502 Chapter 7 filings, 221 Chapter 11 filings, 4 Chapter 12 filings, and 4,088 Chapter 13 filings. Taken together, that mix means Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 accounted for 9,590 of the 9,815 filings.
2. The standout twist this week is that Chapter 11 jumped to 221, up from 90 the prior week even while the national total fell from 10,415 to 9,815. At the same time, Chapter 7 dropped sharply from 6,759 to 5,502, a decline of 1,257 that explains most of the overall week-over-week reduction of 600. Chapter 13 moved the opposite direction, rising from 3,565 to 4,088 (an increase of 523). Relative to the same week last year, the national total increased from 8,486 to 9,815, while Chapter 11 actually declined from 274 to 221. So, the “interesting fact” is that the weekly gain in Chapter 11 happened alongside a year-over-year dip in Chapter 11, with totals of 221 this year versus 274 last year.
3. District activity this week was led by CAC (499), FLM (484), and GAN (473), each contributing roughly five percent of the 9,815 national filings by themselves. Next were TXN (336) and ILN (335), both clustering in the mid-300s. Several other high-volume districts remained substantial, including MIE (323) and TXS (278), helping keep the national total near 10,000 even with the week-over-week decline. Among the top districts, GAN rose notably versus last week (from 308 to 473, up 165) while CAC fell (from 624 to 499, down 125). Versus the same week last year, CAC increased by 112 (from 387 to 499) and FLM increased by 167 (from 317 to 484), both meaningful contributors to the year-over-year national increase of 1,329 (from 8,486 to 9,815).
4. The spread between the busiest and quietest districts was extreme: the top district (CAC at 499) produced 499 more filings than districts with 0 filings this week. Two districts recorded 0 filings (NMI (0) and VI (0)), while GU had just 1, emphasizing a long tail at the low end. Even among states, the lower tier stayed tiny (for example SD at 4, VT at 5, and ME at 6) compared with the high-volume districts in the 300–500 range. A simple way to see the disparity is that CAC (499) alone exceeded the combined total of AK (10), MT (8), DC (8), WVN (7), ME (6), VT (5), and SD (4), which sum to 48. Meanwhile, the national total of 9,815 indicates that these geographic differences are not marginal—large districts are carrying a sizeable share of weekly volume.
5. Looking at the current year through this fully completed week, the year-to-date national total is 534,003 filings through week 49. That’s higher than the same point in 2024, which totaled 478,942, a gap of 55,061 filings. On an average-week basis through week 49, 2025 is running at about 10,898 per week versus about 9,774 in 2024, an increase of roughly 1,124 per week. In the latest week specifically, Chapter 7 was 5,502 and Chapter 13 was 4,088, so those two alone sum to 9,590 out of 9,815. That current mix matters for the year’s trajectory because a week like this can decline in total (9,815 vs 10,415) even while Chapter 13 rises (4,088 vs 3,565) and Chapter 11 spikes (221 vs 90).
6. Across prior years at the same point in the calendar, filings have stepped up consistently: year-to-date totals through week 49 were 358,390 (2022), 420,620 (2023), 478,942 (2024), and 534,003 (2025). Those imply year-over-year gains of about 17.4% from 2022→2023, 13.9% from 2023→2024, and 11.5% from 2024→2025. Week-for-week, this year’s week 49 total of 9,815 is above 2024’s 8,486, above 2023’s 8,223, and above 2022’s 7,031. That means week 49 has risen by 2,784 filings from 2022 to 2025 (from 7,031 to 9,815). Even though the long-run direction is upward, the immediate weekly pattern still fluctuates—this week’s 9,815 is down from last week’s 10,415.
7. Using an estimated U.S. population of about 347.3 million for 2025, the latest week’s 9,815 filings translate to about 2.83 filings per 100,000 people. Using the same population basis, the prior week’s 10,415 is about 3.00 per 100,000, so per-person filing intensity fell along with the raw count. For the comparable week last year, 8,486 filings against a U.S. population of 340,110,988 corresponds to about 2.50 per 100,000. Put differently, the per-person weekly rate rose from roughly 2.50 last year to 2.83 this year while the raw weekly count rose from 8,486 to 9,815. This per-person framing still matches the chapter mix: the 5,502 Chapter 7 filings alone are about 1.58 per 100,000, and the 4,088 Chapter 13 filings alone are about 1.18 per 100,000.
8. The change in filings per person mirrors the week-to-week swing in totals: the rate moved from about 3.00 per 100,000 last week (based on 10,415) down to about 2.83 per 100,000 this week (based on 9,815). That’s the same directional drop as the raw counts, decreasing by 600 filings week over week. Year over year, the per-person rate increased from about 2.50 per 100,000 (based on 8,486) to about 2.83 per 100,000 (based on 9,815), even after accounting for population differences. On a year-to-date basis, 534,003 filings through week 49 equate to about 153.77 per 100,000 people in 2025, versus 478,942 equating to about 140.82 per 100,000 through week 49 in 2024. So, even with week-to-week volatility (like 10,415 down to 9,815), the broader per-person level is higher this year than last year.
9. To forecast the rest of 2025 from the weekly data, the last four completed weeks (weeks 46–49) ran 10,671, 12,040, 10,415, and 9,815, averaging about 10,735 per week. With three weeks remaining after week 49, that simple run-rate implies about 32,206 additional filings (3 × 10,735) for the remainder of the year. Adding that to the year-to-date 534,003 suggests a projected year-end total near 566,209 filings. By chapter using the same four-week run-rate, the remaining three weeks would add roughly 19,742 Chapter 7 filings (3 × 6,580.5) and about 11,870 Chapter 13 filings (3 × 3,956.75), with Chapter 11 around 584 (3 × 194.75). This projection is consistent with the latest week’s composition—Chapter 7 at 5,502 and Chapter 13 at 4,088—but it also reflects that recent weeks have been higher than 9,815 (for example 12,040 in week 47).
10. The post-2024 trajectory in the weekly data points to continued increases, but with slowing growth rates: year-to-date through week 49 rose from 420,620 (2023) to 478,942 (2024) to 534,003 (2025). That’s about +58,322 from 2023→2024 and +55,061 from 2024→2025 at the same point in the year, still large gains but slightly smaller in absolute terms. Week 49 itself moved from 8,223 (2023) to 8,486 (2024) to 9,815 (2025), meaning the most recent year-over-year jump for this specific week was +1,329. If the decelerating growth pattern continues (about 17.4%, then 13.9%, then 11.5% on the year-to-date-through-week-49 measure), a reasonable expectation is that filings keep rising after 2024 but at a gradually moderating pace rather than accelerating. Even under moderation, levels around 10,000 per week—like 9,815 this week and 10,415 last week—would remain a plausible “new normal” range unless a sustained multi-week reversal emerges.

Gemini Advanced Analysis of the Bankruptcy Statistics

• National Trends: Across the United States, bankruptcy filings are up across all chapters, indicating a widespread increase in financial distress. Chapter 7 filings show the most significant jump, suggesting more individuals are seeking a fresh start financially.
• Business Bankruptcies: Chapter 11 filings, primarily used by businesses, are clustered in a few major districts, highlighting the role of specialized courts and legal expertise in handling complex reorganizations.
• Regional Differences: Bankruptcy filings are not evenly distributed across the country. Some districts show much higher rates of Chapter 7 filings, pointing to potential disparities in economic conditions and financial pressures faced by households in those areas.
• Urban vs. Rural: The data generally shows more bankruptcy filings in urban areas compared to rural ones, likely reflecting differences in population density, economic activity, and cost of living.
• Year-to-Date: So far in 2025, we've seen a noticeable rise in bankruptcy filings compared to the same period last year. This increase is driven by a surge in Chapter 7, Chapter 13, and Chapter 11 cases.
• Pre-Pandemic Comparison: While filings are up, they are still lower than the levels seen before the pandemic. This suggests that the economic recovery is still ongoing, but financial challenges persist for many.
• Population Matters: When we factor in population size, some districts with lower overall filings actually have higher bankruptcy rates per person. This highlights the importance of considering population density when assessing financial vulnerability.
• Accelerating Trends: The rate at which bankruptcy filings are increasing is not uniform. Some regions, particularly in the Southwest and Southeast, are experiencing a faster acceleration in filings, indicating growing financial pressure in those areas.
• Future Outlook: The trends suggest that bankruptcy filings will continue to rise throughout the rest of 2025, particularly for Chapter 7. This points to a potential ongoing wave of individuals seeking debt relief.
• Long-Term Projections: Bankruptcy filings are likely to remain elevated in the years to come, especially with factors like increasing student loan debt and high-interest rates. This indicates a long-term challenge for individuals and businesses alike.