STATISTICS/DEMOGRAPHICS

• Despite the ongoing decline in bankruptcy filings, the Central District of California continued to lead the nation in the number of cases initiated during 2013. A total of 75,581 bankruptcy petitions were filed in the Central District. This was the sixth consecutive year the Central District led the nation in bankruptcy filings.
• Once again, the Central District led the nation in both the number and percentage of pro se filings. The district’s rate of pro se bankruptcy filings for the year was 24.7 percent, nearly three times the national average of 8.8 percent. The Central District handled nearly 20 percent of the entire nation’s pro se bankruptcy filings in 2013.
• According to the national filing data released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for 2013, the Central District of California received 37.2 percent more bankruptcy filings than the second-highest district, the Northern District of Illinois. Bankruptcy filings in the Central District of California accounted for over 7 percent of the nation’s filings.