The 1,663 subchapter V elections within Chapter 11 during the first six months of 2026 represented a 50% increase over the 1,107 filings recorded during the same period a year ago, according to data provided by Epiq AACER, the leading provider of US bankruptcy filing data.
Key data from H1/26 (January 1 – June 30) include:
- 310,550 total bankruptcy filings, a 12% increase from H1/25 (276,306).
- 17,285 overall commercial filings, a 13% increase from H1/25 (15,340).
- 4,589 commercial Chapter 11 filings, a 28% increase from H1/25 (3,595).
“The 50% rise in subchapter V elections underscores the mounting challenges facing small businesses amid higher borrowing costs and softening demand, while the 12% increase in overall filings reflects broader financial pressures nationwide,” said Michael Hunter, Vice President of Epiq AACER. “On the consumer side, we’re seeing signs of strain in key areas: auto delinquencies remain near multi-year highs, foreclosure activity has risen notably, and credit card balances and other debt obligations continue to drive individuals to Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 relief.”
In H1 2026, there were:
- 293,265 individual bankruptcy filings, a 12% increase from H1/25 (260,966).
- 187,572 individual Chapter 7 filings, a 15% increase from H1/25 (163,201).
- 104,997 individual Chapter 13 filings, an 8% increase from H1/25 (97,175).
“The increase in bankruptcy filings over the past year, particularly among small businesses, reflects ongoing financial pressures facing households and employers,” said Amy Quackenboss, Executive Director at the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). “Higher borrowing costs, increasing expenses, and geopolitical volatility are leading more debtors to turn to the bankruptcy system to restructure obligations and pursue a financial fresh start.”
Filings for June 2026 registered:
- 258 subchapter V elections, a 28% increase from June 2025’s total of 202.
- 52,282 total filings, a 13% increase from June 2025’s total of 46,281.
- 2,858 commercial filings, a 9% increase from June 2025’s total of 2622.
- 812 commercial Chapter 11 filings, a 29% increase from June 2025’s total of 631.
- 49,424 individual filings, a 13% increase from June 2025’s total of 43,659.
- 31,428 individual Chapter 7s, a 15% increase from June 2025’s total of 27,225.
- 17,886 individual Chapter 13s, a 10% increase from June 2025’s total of 16,317.
