Whether you examined bankruptcy filings from the first three quarters of the year or just September, the year-over-year figures left almost identical trajectories.

Bankruptcies keep moving higher.

According to data provided by Epiq AACER, total bankruptcy filings through the first nine months of 2026 increased 11% year-over-year to 469,719 cases. A year ago, the figure after three quarters came in at 423,168.

Here’s a breakdown of the filings through September:

—444,252 individual bankruptcy filings, a 7% increase from 2025 (399,379)

—282,413 individual Chapter 7 filings, a 13% increase from 2025 (249,130)

—160,817 individual Chapter 13 filings, an 8% increase from 2025 (149,347)

—25,467 overall commercial filings, a 7% increase from 2025 (23,789)

—6,560 commercial Chapter 11 filings, an 11% increase from 2025 (5,895)

“The continued increase in bankruptcy filings reflects the strain of higher borrowing costs, rising household expenses, growing consumer delinquencies, and a softer job market,” Epiq AACER vice president Michael Hunter said in a news release. “As cost pressures mount, more small businesses are turning to Subchapter V to reorganize, and we expect filing volumes to keep climbing into 2027.”

Hunter mentioned the 2,442 Subchapter V elections within Chapter 11 filed during the first nine months of 2026 increased 46% from the 1,672 filings during the same period in 2025.

Looking at only September activity, the upward trajectories often appeared again as seen in the Epiq AACER data:

—52,299 total filings, a 6% increase from September 2025 (49,216).

—49,672 individual filings, a 7% increase from September 2025 (46,393).

—31,250 individual Chapter 7 cases, a 9% increase from September 2025 (28,763).

—18,320 individual Chapter 13 cases, a 4% increase from September 2025 (17,534).

—2,627 commercial filings, a 7% decrease from September 2025 (2,823).

—648 commercial Chapter 11 filings, a 16% decrease from September 2025 (769).

Commercial filing activity from January 1 to September 30, 2026, include:

“The increase in bankruptcy filings, especially among small businesses, highlights the challenges many debtors continue to face amid persistent inflationary pressures, elevated borrowing costs, and economic uncertainty,” American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) executive director Amy Quackenboss said in the news release.

“Congress recently passed legislation that would permanently increase the eligibility limits for both Subchapter V and Chapter 13, expanding access for struggling businesses and families seeking bankruptcy relief,” Quackenboss added.

ABI partners with Epiq Bankruptcy to provide the most current bankruptcy filing data for analysts, researchers, and members of the news media.