The 249,152 individual chapter 7 bankruptcies filed during the first nine months of 2025 represented a 15 percent increase over the 216,773 filed during the same period in 2024, according to data provided by Epiq AACER, the leading provider of U.S. bankruptcy filing data.
Total bankruptcy filings were 423,053 during the first nine months of 2025, a 10 percent increase from the 383,341 total filings during the same period a year ago. Total individual filings registered an 11 percent increase year-to-date to 399,387 filings, up from the 360,636 filings during the first nine months of 2024. Individual chapter 13 filings increased 4 percent to 149,337 from the 143,240 filed in the first nine months of 2024.
“The sharp rise in individual bankruptcy filings this September compared to 2024 highlights the mounting financial pressure on households across the country,” said Michael Hunter, vice president of Epiq AACER. “Chapter 7 filings surged 19 percent year-over-year, and the growth in active Chapter 13 case inventory suggests more consumers are turning to bankruptcy as a necessary financial reset. We expect this upward trend to continue, with a strong likelihood of accelerating into 2026.”
Overall commercial filings registered 23,666 for the first nine months of 2025, representing a 4 percent increase from the commercial filing total of 22,705 during the same period in 2024. Small business filings, captured as subchapter V elections within chapter 11, totaled 1,764 in the first nine months of 2025, a 6 percent increase from the 1,669 elections during the same period in 2024. Commercial chapter 11 bankruptcies were the only category to record a decrease, as the 5,883 commercial chapter 11s filed during the first nine months of 2025 represented a 3 percent drop from the 6,078 filed during the same period in 2024.
“With household debts climbing, lending terms tightening and geopolitical uncertainty creating challenges within supply chains, bankruptcies continue their ascent toward pre-pandemic levels,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “Families or businesses overwhelmed by growing debt loads have a financial lifeline through the bankruptcy process.”
Filings increased across all chapters in September 2025 compared to September 2024. Overall commercial filings increased 13 percent to 2,781 from 2,471 in 2024. September 2025 commercial chapter 11s increased 3 percent to 767 from 741 in September 2024. Total subchapter V elections within chapter 11 increased 40 percent to 210 in September 2025 from 148 in September 2024.
The 49,182 total bankruptcy filings in September 2025 represented an increase of 16 percent from the 42,571 filed in September 2024. Total individual filings climbed 16 percent, to 46,401 from 40,100. The 28,772 individual chapter 7 filings in September 2025 increased 19 percent over the 24,085 filings in September 2024. Individual chapter 13s were up 10 percent in September 2025 to 17,533 from 15,947 the previous year.