Accredited official statistics
Individual insolvencies, August 2026
Monthly tables and commentary on the numbers and rates of individual insolvencies, including bankruptcies, debt relief orders and individual voluntary arrangements in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and quarterly information for Scotland. For England and Wales, Breathing Space scheme statistics are also included.
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Details
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In August 2026, 11,644 individuals entered insolvency in England and
Wales. This was similar to in July 2026 and 3% higher than in August
2025.
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The individual insolvencies consisted of 725 bankruptcies, 3,880 debt
relief orders (DROs) and 7,039 individual voluntary arrangements
(IVAs). The number of IVAs registered in August 2026 was lower than in
July 2026 but higher than the average over the past 12 months. DRO
numbers in August 2026 were similar to in July 2026 and lower than the
average monthly numbers seen over the past 12 months. Bankruptcy
numbers were higher than in both July 2026 and August 2025.
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In the 12 months ending 31 August 2026, one in 360 adults in England
and Wales entered insolvency (at a rate of 27.8 per 10,000 adults).
This is higher than the rate of 24.5 per 10,000 adults (one in 408)
who entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 31 August 2025.
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There were 5,012 Breathing Space registrations in August 2026. This is
32% lower than in August 2025. Numbers of breathing spaces have been
lower since December 2025 after the largest money advisor group by
number of cases updated its suitability criteria for its clients to
apply for a breathing space.
Updates to this page
Published 18 September 2026
