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MARCH 2005
2004 Marks Decline in
Non-Business Bankruptcy Filing Rate
According to data just released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, personal bankruptcy filings for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2004 numbered 1,563,145. This figure represents a 3.8 percent decline in filings when compared to totals for calendar year 2003. The table below provides detailed statistics on the number of filings and growth rates by state and judicial district. As shown in the table, twice as many states reported a decline in filings in 2004 compared with 2003 as reported an increase or no change.
The accompanying chart displays the year-over-year rate of change in personal bankruptcy filings, by quarter. Note that the three-month period ending December 31, 2004 marks the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvement in the filing rate. Filings for the quarter ending December 31, 2004 were 5.5 percent lower compared to the year earlier quarter.
While the downward trend in filings is encouraging, 2004 was the third consecutive year of filings totaling more than 1.5 million. Since 1992 when the last bankruptcy judgeships were authorized, bankruptcy judges have seen a dramatic increase in their caseloads. Consequently, the Judicial Conference of the United States which was created by Congress in 1922 to "serve as the principal policy making body concerned with the administration of the United States Courts" requested the creation of 47 new bankruptcy judgeships in 31 judicial districts. An amendment to the bankruptcy reform legislation (S. 256) making its way through the U.S. Senate would increase filing fees in order to fund the new judgeships. Stay tuned.
| Personal Bankruptcies by State and Judicial District for the 12-Month Period Ending December 31, 2004 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Total Filings as of 12/31/2004 |
% Change in Total 12/31/2003-12/31/2004 |
% Chapter 7 as of 12/31/2004 |
|
| Total | 1,563,145 |
-3.8% |
71.5% |
| Alabama | 41,647 |
-1.2% |
48.5% |
| Middle | 8,544 |
-2.4% |
46.5% |
| North | 25,748 |
-0.5% |
51.7% |
| South | 7,355 |
-2.1% |
39.8% |
| Alaska | 1,444 |
4.0% |
90.5% |
| Arizona | 30,907 |
-0.7% |
82.6% |
| Arkansas | 23,887 |
0.0% |
58.4% |
| East | 15,424 |
0.2% |
53.5% |
| West | 8,463 |
-0.3% |
67.4% |
| California | 118,948 |
-13.3% |
86.1% |
| Central | 59,020 |
-19.9% |
90.9% |
| East | 28,021 |
-6.8% |
85.3% |
| North | 20,847 |
-4.7% |
74.3% |
| South | 11,060 |
-4.4% |
84.3% |
| Colorado | 27,383 |
7.8% |
89.6% |
| Connecticut | 11,291 |
-6.4% |
82.5% |
| District of Columbia | 1,892 |
-16.1% |
74.9% |
| Delaware | 3,392 |
-0.6% |
59.6% |
| Florida | 84,706 |
-8.8% |
74.8% |
| Middle | 51,665 |
-5.8% |
72.6% |
| North | 6,568 |
-6.8% |
79.7% |
| South | 26,473 |
-14.5% |
77.7% |
| Georgia | 75,870 |
-4.7% |
46.3% |
| Middle | 17,530 |
-2.3% |
45.4% |
| North | 43,290 |
-4.9% |
53.7% |
| South | 15,050 |
-6.8% |
26.4% |
| Hawaii | 3,065 |
-17.7% |
88.2% |
| Idaho | 9,328 |
-1.1% |
86.8% |
| Illinois | 79,320 |
-6.2% |
75.2% |
| Central | 15,438 |
-4.7% |
85.7% |
| North | 54,254 |
-7.1% |
73.2% |
| South | 9,628 |
-3.1% |
69.5% |
| Indiana | 53,941 |
-2.2% |
78.6% |
| North | 20,547 |
-1.9% |
82.8% |
| South | 33,394 |
-2.4% |
76.0% |
| Iowa | 12,722 |
3.8% |
95.2% |
| North | 4,836 |
2.3% |
96.4% |
| South | 7,886 |
4.7% |
94.4% |
| Kansas | 16,021 |
0.8% |
80.9% |
| Kentucky | 27,799 |
-6.0% |
80.0% |
| East | 12,805 |
-3.2% |
83.4% |
| West | 14,994 |
-8.2% |
77.2% |
| Louisiana | 29,201 |
0.4% |
61.4% |
| East | 9,716 |
-2.9% |
67.8% |
| Middle | 4,219 |
5.0% |
70.3% |
| West | 15,266 |
1.4% |
54.9% |
| Maine | 4,370 |
-4.1% |
90.5% |
| Maryland | 29,050 |
-13.8% |
69.2% |
| Massachusetts | 18,129 |
1.5% |
86.5% |
| Michigan | 63,531 |
2.4% |
71.6% |
| East | 46,592 |
2.7% |
68.3% |
| West | 16,939 |
1.4% |
80.7% |
| Minnesota | 16,596 |
-15.4% |
78.6% |
| Mississippi | 21,007 |
-4.4% |
65.7% |
| North | 8,357 |
1.1% |
66.4% |
| South | 12,650 |
-7.7% |
65.3% |
| Missouri | 37,251 |
-0.5% |
74.8% |
| East | 19,378 |
-3.3% |
68.5% |
| West | 17,873 |
2.7% |
81.6% |
| Montana | 4,223 |
-1.5% |
90.3% |
| Nebraska | 8,785 |
4.7% |
78.7% |
| Nevada | 16,655 |
-17.7% |
78.8% |
| New Hampshire | 4,493 |
5.8% |
90.4% |
| New Jersey | 40,596 |
-2.5% |
67.1% |
| New Mexico | 8,793 |
-2.3% |
91.3% |
| New York | 75,908 |
2.8% |
80.7% |
| East | 26,153 |
1.9% |
81.9% |
| North | 17,220 |
0.9% |
75.9% |
| South | 17,544 |
6.4% |
87.7% |
| West | 14,991 |
2.7% |
76.1% |
| North Carolina | 36,118 |
-6.5% |
50.9% |
| East | 14,544 |
-7.2% |
50.1% |
| Middle | 11,539 |
-7.7% |
46.8% |
| West | 10,035 |
-4.2% |
56.9% |
| North Dakota | 2,203 |
0.7% |
94.8% |
| Ohio | 88,416 |
0.1% |
78.6% |
| North | 46,658 |
-1.9% |
82.3% |
| South | 41,758 |
2.4% |
74.5% |
| Oklahoma | 25,993 |
-2.2% |
88.4% |
| East | 4,823 |
-4.7% |
91.9% |
| North | 7,337 |
-1.3% |
90.6% |
| West | 13,833 |
-1.9% |
86.0% |
| Oregon | 23,603 |
-0.7% |
84.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 58,164 |
-0.1% |
69.2% |
| East | 23,795 |
-6.5% |
56.8% |
| Middle | 13,881 |
1.2% |
75.9% |
| West | 20,488 |
7.5% |
79.0% |
| Rhode Island | 4,068 |
-9.8% |
93.6% |
| South Carolina | 15,280 |
-4.9% |
42.0% |
| South Dakota | 2,713 |
-0.9% |
92.4% |
| Tennessee | 60,574 |
-6.4% |
48.3% |
| East | 19,288 |
-4.7% |
63.9% |
| Middle | 15,451 |
-5.2% |
58.1% |
| West | 25,835 |
-8.4% |
30.9% |
| Texas | 90,651 |
2.2% |
52.0% |
| East | 12,615 |
-2.5% |
58.0% |
| North | 31,312 |
3.5% |
47.0% |
| South | 26,412 |
4.8% |
51.0% |
| West | 20,312 |
0.1% |
57.4% |
| Utah | 20,362 |
-5.6% |
69.2% |
| Vermont | 1,613 |
-11.6% |
85.9% |
| Virginia | 39,726 |
-6.6% |
71.7% |
| East | 28,001 |
-7.0% |
68.2% |
| West | 11,725 |
-5.4% |
79.9% |
| Washington | 37,744 |
-5.2% |
80.5% |
| East | 9,223 |
-9.8% |
78.8% |
| West | 28,521 |
-3.6% |
81.1% |
| West Virginia | 11,287 |
4.4% |
95.0% |
| North | 4,461 |
-2.0% |
94.8% |
| South | 6,826 |
9.1% |
95.2% |
| Wisconsin | 26,668 |
-3.1% |
83.0% |
| East | 18,002 |
-3.5% |
80.9% |
| West | 8,666 |
-2.2% |
87.5% |
| Wyoming | 2,417 |
0.0% |
92.8% |
| Guam | 340 |
-4.2% |
89.7% |
| NMI | 22 |
37.5% |
90.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 12,999 |
-7.3% |
31.7% |
| Virgin Islands | 33 |
-32.7% |
48.5% |
| Circuit | |||
| 1st | 44,059 |
-2.5% |
71.8% |
| 2nd | 88,812 |
1.3% |
81.1% |
| 3rd | 102,185 |
-1.1% |
68.0% |
| 4th | 131,461 |
-7.3% |
64.0% |
| 5th | 140,859 |
0.8% |
56.0% |
| 6th | 240,320 |
-1.8% |
69.3% |
| 7th | 159,929 |
-4.3% |
77.6% |
| 8th | 104,157 |
-2.2% |
75.4% |
| 9th | 246,279 |
-9.2% |
84.3% |
| 10th | 100,969 |
0.1% |
84.0% |
| 11th | 202,223 |
-5.8% |
58.7% |
| States and territories in each circuit: | |||
| 1st: ME, MA, NH, RI, PR | |||
| 2nd: CT, NY, VT | |||
| 3rd: DE, NJ, PA, VI | |||
| 4th: MD, NC, SC, VA, WV | |||
| 5th: LA, MS, TX | |||
| 6th: KY, MI, OH, TN | |||
| 7th: IL, IN, WI | |||
| 8th: AR, IA, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD | |||
| 9th: AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, GUAM, NMI | |||
| 10th: CO, KS, NM, OK, UT, WY | |||
| 11th: AL, FL, GA | |||
© 2004 American Financial Services Association. All rights reserved.