Consumer and Commercial Filings Declined from July but Remained Above August 2025 Levels
New monthly bankruptcy data from G2 Risk Solutions (G2RS) shows that U.S. bankruptcy filing activity increased year over year in August 2026, driven by higher consumer and commercial filing volumes compared with August 2025. On a month-over-month basis, both consumer and commercial filings declined from July 2026 levels.
Consumer bankruptcy filings totaled 50,985 in August 2026, a 4.87% decrease from July 2026. Compared with August 2025, consumer filings increased 8.67%, continuing the upward year-over-year trend observed throughout 2026.
Commercial bankruptcy filings totaled 1,055 in August 2026, down 8.74% from July 2026 and up 0.9% from August 2025. While activity moderated from the prior month, commercial filings remained slightly above year-ago levels.
Combined consumer and commercial bankruptcy filings reached 52,040 in August 2026. This represents the third-highest August filing total since 2018, reflecting sustained bankruptcy activity across both consumer and commercial sectors.
Chapter-level filing activity also increased on a year-over-year basis. Chapter 7 filings totaled 32,482 in August 2026, an increase of 2,949 cases, or 9.99%, from 29,533 filings in August 2025. Chapter 13 filings totaled 18,802, up 1,105 cases, or 6.24%, from 17,697 filings a year earlier. Both chapters posted year-over-year gains, with Chapter 7 continuing to account for the larger share of filing growth.