Bankruptcy filings started 2026 with another double-digit increase year-over-year, as the industry data continues to resemble what experts saw before the pandemic.

According to data provided by Epiq AACER, total bankruptcy filings came in at 45,808 in January, a 10% increase from last January’s total of 41,551.

Analysts said individual bankruptcy filings also increased 10% to 42,968 in January from the 39,143 filings last January.

Epiq AACER tabulated that there were 25,805 individual Chapter 7 filings in January, a 13% rise from the 22,934 filings recorded during the same month in 2025.

In addition, analysts said there were 17,052 individual Chapter 13 filings in January, representing a 6% increase over the 16,103 filings in January of the previous year.

American Bankruptcy Institute executive director Amy Quackenboss said in a news release, “The gap between current and pre-pandemic bankruptcy filing totals continues to narrow amid the growing financial strains on households and businesses.

“For distressed families and companies struggling with higher costs, tighter lending terms, and heightened geopolitical risks, bankruptcy remains a step toward restoring their financial footing,” Quackenboss continued.

Analysts offered some context when recapping commercial filings to begin the year.

Epiq AACER reported there were 956 commercial Chapter 11 filings in January, marking an increase of 76% from the 544 filings registered in January of last year.

However, analysts explained that the rise in overall commercial Chapter 11 filings was primarily driven by related filings from larger corporate parent companies.

“The significant spike in commercial Chapter 11 filings this month reflects the outsized impact that related filings from large corporate families can have on the overall landscape,” Epiq AACER vice president Michael Hunter said.

“Individual filings also continue to show strong increases. With volumes steadily moving back toward pre-pandemic levels, it’s clear that financial strain among those seeking bankruptcy protection is broad-based across both businesses and consumers,” Hunter continued.

Looking at the January data on a sequential comparison, Epiq AACER said total bankruptcies registered a small decrease of 0.3% when compared to the December filing total of 45,950.

Analysts added individual bankruptcies fell 1% from the 43,390 filings in December.

Individual Chapter 7 filings decreased 5% from December’s total of 27,151, but Chapter 13 filings increased 6% from 16,150 filings the previous month, according to Epiq AACER.