Quarterly personal insolvency statistics

Brief description

AFSA publish official quarterly and annual personal insolvency statistics on bankruptcies, debt agreements and personal insolvency agreements for all states and territories.

From the June quarter 2023, the publication also released Greater Capital Cities Statistical Area (GCCSA) and Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3) breakdown of the number of debtors with business and non-business related personal insolvencies on a quarterly basis, using the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).


Bankruptcy is a process where people who cannot pay their debts become bankrupt to receive the protection of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 and their estate is administered by a trustee. It allows for the fair distribution of property among creditors and the prosecution of dishonest debtors.

A debt agreement is an arrangement between a person who cannot pay their debts and their creditors. It is a formal arrangement under Part IX of the Bankruptcy Act. A debt agreement results from creditors voting to accept a proposal from a debtor to settle their debts. To be eligible to propose a debt agreement, a debtor must be insolvent and meet threshold levels relating to unsecured debts and assets and after-tax income.

Personal insolvency agreement (PIA): under Part X of the Bankruptcy Act, a personal insolvency agreement results from creditors accepting a debtor’s proposal to settle his or her debts. Unlike debt agreements, personal insolvency agreements are not subject to income, asset or debt thresholds.

Please see our guide to learn more about the provisional personal insolvency statistics

Full description

Quarterly personal insolvency statistics including regional statistics -
Quarterly personal insolvency statistics per quarter -
Regional personal insolvency time series per quarter -
Quarterly personal insolvency time series to March quarter 2023 - Total new personal insolvencies by type, quarter, involved in business and Australian states and territories. Counted by number of people.\r\n\r\nNumber of debtor's petitions (voluntary bankruptcies under Part IV of the Bankruptcy Act 1966)\r\n\r\nNumber of sequestration orders (involuntary bankruptcies under Part IV of the Bankruptcy Act 1966)\r\n\r\nTotal number of bankruptcies\r\n\r\nNumber of insolvent deceased estates (under Part XI of the Bankruptcy Act 1966)\r\n\r\nNumber of debt agreements (under Part IX of the Bankruptcy Act 1966)\r\n\r\nNumber of personal insolvency agreements (under Part X of the Bankruptcy Act 1966)
Debtor's petitions quarterly time series - Total number of debtor's petitions by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.
Sequestration orders quarterly time series - Number of sequestration orders by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.
Total bankruptcies quarterly time series - Total number of bankruptcies by involvement in business and Australian states and territories. Bankruptcies consist of debtor's petitions and sequestration orders.
insolvent deceased estates quarterly time series - Number of insolvent deceased estates by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.
Debt agreements quarterly time series - Number of debt agreements by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.\r\n\r\nThere is a time series break for debt agreements in the September quarter 2019. The majority of debt agreement law reforms amendments commenced on 27 June 2019.
Personal insolvency agreements quarterly time series - Number of personal insolvency agreements by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.
Total personal insolvencies quarterly time series - Total number of personal insolvencies by involvement in business and Australian states and territories.\r\n\r\nThere is a time series break the September quarter 2019. The majority of debt agreement law reforms amendments commenced on 27 June 2019.