58.3% of Chapter 13 cases closed between 2008 and 2025 ended in dismissal - the debtor got no debt relief despite filing fees, attorney costs, and months or years of plan payments. 41.7% completed the plan and received a discharge. Source: 4,223,503 closed cases in the Federal Judicial Center Integrated Database.
What percentage of Chapter 13 bankruptcies fail?
More than half. Of the 4,223,503 Chapter 13 cases closed between 2008 and 2025, 2,476,686 (58.3%) were dismissed without a discharge. A dismissed case means the bankruptcy ended early: the debts come back, collection can resume, and the money already paid into the plan (and to the attorney) does not buy the fresh start the filer expected.
These are not survey estimates. They come from the Federal Judicial Center Integrated Database, the federal judiciary's own case-level records, analyzed case by case. You can verify every figure on our national statistics page and drill into any of the 94 districts.
What is the success rate of Chapter 13?
41.7%. That is the share of closed Chapter 13 cases (1,746,817 of 4,223,503) in which the debtor completed the repayment plan and received a discharge - the legal event that actually wipes out the remaining eligible debt. It is the fundamental measure of whether Chapter 13 works as intended, and it means fewer than 42 of every 100 filers who reached an outcome got the relief the chapter promises.
Denominator note: both rates are computed over closed cases. Cases still pending are excluded, because counting them would artificially push the outcome rates down as the data extends toward the present. Full definitions are on our methodology page.
What percentage of Chapter 13 bankruptcies are "denied"?
Almost none, in the literal sense - and the terminology matters, because the three failure modes get confused:
- Dismissal is the common one: the case is thrown out, usually after the debtor falls behind on plan payments or fails a filing requirement. This is what ended 58.3% of closed cases, and it is nearly always what people mean by a Chapter 13 being "denied."
- Denial of confirmation means the court rejects the proposed repayment plan. The case is not over; the debtor can usually amend the plan and try again, though repeated failures lead to dismissal.
- Denial of discharge at the end of a completed plan is rare and involves specific statutory bars - for example the repeat-filing time bars of 11 U.S.C. § 1328(f).
So if you are asking "what are the odds my Chapter 13 gets denied," the honest translation is: the plan may be sent back for changes, but the real statistical risk is dismissal along the way - and historically that risk has been 58.3%.
Does a prior bankruptcy change the odds?
Yes, measurably. One in three Chapter 13 filers (33.2%) had filed a previous bankruptcy case. Among prior-filer cases that reached a disposition, 27.4% received a discharge - versus 41.7% for closed cases overall. Repeat filers complete plans at a substantially lower rate.
How many people go through Chapter 13 without a lawyer?
About 8.4% of Chapter 13 cases - roughly 409,053 filings between 2008 and 2025 - were filed without attorney representation. The rate varies enormously by district, from under 1% to over 53%. You can compare districts on the statistics page and browse individual case records in our free case index.
Where these numbers come from (and how to check them)
The Open Bankruptcy Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We publish this data free, with no lead generation and no law-firm sponsorship. Every statistic on this page is derived from the FJC Integrated Database and can be independently verified:
- National bankruptcy statistics - the full analysis, including district-level dismissal and discharge tables.
- Case outcomes explained - what dismissal, discharge, and conversion actually mean.
- Methodology - definitions, denominators, and data-handling choices.
- FJC Integrated Database - the underlying federal source, publicly available.