U.S. personal bankruptcy rate 2023, by state

In 2023, Alabama had the highest personal bankruptcy filing rate in the United States. In Alabama 346.72 inhabitants per 100,000 had filed for bankruptcy. In comparison, Alaska had the lowest bankruptcy filing rate, where 25.77 inhabitants per 100,000 filed for bankruptcy.

Filing for bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal process that occurs when a person, business, or organization does not have enough money to pay for all of its debts. Personal bankruptcy happens for a multitude of reasons, with one of the biggest factors being medical debt. Corporate bankruptcy happens when businesses fail or because of financial distress. When a person cannot pay off their debts, a professional accountant is appointed as a trustee in bankruptcy. Their assets are frozen and then sold in order to pay off as much of the person’s debts as possible. When an organization can’t pay back its debts, a liquidator is appointed by the court. Assets are not protected, so everything can be sold off to cover the bankruptcy. In 2020, J.C. Penny Company Inc. had the largest Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings in the United States in terms of assets.

U.S. bankruptcy

In 2023, California had the largest number of bankruptcy filings in the United States, while Alaska had the lowest. The number of non-business bankruptcy filings has been decreasing since 2010. The same is true for the annual number of business bankruptcy cases which have been in decline since 2009.