Individual insolvencies by location, age and gender, England and Wales, 2025
Official statistics for individual insolvencies in England and Wales from 2015 to 2025, broken down by region, local authority areas, parliamentary constituencies; age; gender; and electoral ward. The number of breathing spaces obtained under the Debt Respite Scheme, broken down by location and age, are also included.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
This publication contains five sets of data tables, which are linked to on this page:
- Individual insolvencies by Location, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025 contains a time series with breakdowns of insolvency numbers and rates by country, region, county and local authority
- Individual insolvencies by Age and Gender, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025 contains a time series with breakdowns of insolvency numbers and rates by age and gender
- Individual insolvencies by Location, Age and Gender, England and Wales, 2025 contains breakdowns of insolvency numbers and rates by location, age and gender for 2025
- Individual insolvencies by Parliamentary Constituency, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025 contains a time series with breakdowns of insolvency numbers and rates by country, region and parliamentary constituency
- Individual Insolvency Statistics by Ward, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025 contains a time series with breakdowns of insolvency numbers by ward
Main Messages for England and Wales
National and regional summary
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In 2025, the rate of individual insolvency in England and Wales was 25.3 per 10,000 adults, meaning that one in 395 adults entered an insolvency procedure during that year. This was higher than the one in 415 adults (24.1 per 10,000) in 2024.
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At regional level, the North East of England had the highest individual insolvency rate (33.8 per 10,000 adults), while individuals in London had the lowest (16.2 per 10,000). The North East has been the region with the highest rate of insolvency every year since 2008, while London has been the region with the lowest rate each year since the series began in 2000. The other seven English regions, as well as Wales, all had rates between 23.7 and 29.2 per 10,000. The insolvency rate was higher than the five-year (2020 to 2024) average in all regions of England and Wales.
Local authority and parliamentary constituency areas
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Rates varied by local authority from 9.4 per 10,000 (1 in 1,067 adults) in Richmond upon Thames to 63.0 per 10,000 (1 in 159 adults) in Halton.
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The local authorities with the highest rates of individual insolvency were mainly in the North of England, including Halton (63.0 per 10,000), Kingston upon Hull (55.3) and Blackpool (50.8). The six local authorities with the lowest insolvency rates were London boroughs. Outside London, the local authorities with the lowest rates were Cambridge, Ceredigion and Wokingham.
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The geographical distribution of insolvency rates in 2025 was similar to previous years. For the majority of local authorities, the rate in 2025 was between the same as in 2024 and 3.5 per 10,000 adults higher.
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Rates varied by parliamentary constituency from 6.8 per 10,000 (1 in 1,475 adults) in Sheffield Hallam to 64.9 per 10,000 (1 in 154 adults) in Kingston upon Hull East.
Age and gender
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The female insolvency rate (27.6 per 10,000) was higher than the male rate (23.6 per 10,000) as has been the case each year since 2014. Women had a higher rate of insolvency than men in all age groups except for those aged 65 and over.
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Women were more likely than men to have a debt relief order (DROs) or enter an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), while men were more likely than women to become bankrupt. Historically, men were more likely to enter bankruptcy than have a debt relief order (DRO), however the reverse has been true since 2021.
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Insolvency rates were highest for adults between 35 and 44 and lowest for adults aged 65 and over. This has been the case each year since 2007.
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Individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) were the most common type of insolvency in all age groups except those under the age of 25, for which DROs were most common. The proportion of insolvencies that were bankruptcies was higher for adults aged over 45 than other age groups, but bankruptcies were the least common type of insolvency for all age groups.
Breathing space
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In 2025, one in 550 adults (a rate of 18.2 per 10,000) in England and Wales entered a breathing space under the Debt Respite Scheme.
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The North East was the region with the highest breathing space registration rate in 2025, at 23.3 per 10,000 adults, while London had the lowest, at 14.1 per 10,000 adults. Halton was the local authority with the highest breathing space rate at 54.9 per 10,000 adults, this has been the case every year since the introduction of breathing space in 2021.
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As with insolvency, breathing space rates were highest for 25 to 44 year-olds and lowest for those over 65.