Last updated: 28 October 2026 · Data for 2015–2025 · Compiled by IVA Advice Online from Insolvency Service official statistics
Who becomes insolvent in England and Wales? The Insolvency Service publishes insolvency rates by age and gender every year. This page brings those figures together for all insolvencies, IVAs, debt relief orders and bankruptcies. Rates are per 10,000 adults, so different groups can be compared fairly.
Insolvency rates by age
Source: Insolvency Service, individual insolvencies by age and gender, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025.1 2025 figures are provisional.
Insolvency rates by gender
Women have had higher insolvency rates than men every year since 2015. The difference comes mainly from debt relief orders. In 2025, men were about twice as likely as women to be made bankrupt.1
| Type | Women | Men | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All insolvencies | 27.6 | 23.6 | +4.0 |
| IVAs | 15.1 | 14.2 | +0.9 |
| Debt relief orders | 11.5 | 7.5 | +4.1 |
| Bankruptcies | 0.9 | 2.0 | -1.1 |
Source: Insolvency Service.1 The gap is the rate for women minus the rate for men, calculated from unrounded figures, so it may differ slightly from the rounded rates shown.
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Key findings
- People aged 35-44 have the highest insolvency rate, at 48.0 per 10,000 adults in 2025, compared with 25.8 across all ages.1
- Insolvency among people aged 55 to 64 rose from 15.8 per 10,000 in 2015 to 20.0 in 2025, and among 45 to 54 year olds from 25.6 to 36.4.1
- Rates for 18 to 24 year olds have fallen from 14.4 per 10,000 in 2019 to 11.2 in 2025.1
- The IVA rate for people aged 35-44 was 29.4 per 10,000 in 2025, the highest of any group.1
- For debt relief orders, the rate for women (11.5) was about 1.5 times the rate for men (7.5).1
To see insolvency rates by area rather than by age, use our UK insolvency map.
Full tables
All insolvencies: rates by age and gender, 2015–2025
| Year | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | All ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6.4 | 23.6 | 28.4 | 25.6 | 15.8 | 5.0 | 17.5 |
| 2016 | 9.1 | 30.0 | 31.8 | 26.8 | 15.9 | 4.8 | 19.6 |
| 2017 | 11.1 | 35.8 | 36.4 | 27.2 | 14.9 | 4.3 | 21.4 |
| 2018 | 13.1 | 42.8 | 43.1 | 30.9 | 16.3 | 4.2 | 24.7 |
| 2019 | 14.4 | 45.7 | 46.9 | 31.6 | 16.8 | 4.2 | 26.0 |
| 2020 | 14.2 | 42.2 | 42.9 | 28.9 | 14.6 | 3.4 | 23.7 |
| 2021 | 12.5 | 40.5 | 41.6 | 29.6 | 15.5 | 3.5 | 23.3 |
| 2022 | 13.7 | 43.4 | 46.1 | 31.0 | 15.6 | 3.6 | 24.9 |
| 2023 | 10.6 | 35.5 | 39.3 | 28.1 | 14.5 | 3.2 | 21.4 |
| 2024 | 11.6 | 37.8 | 44.6 | 32.8 | 17.4 | 3.7 | 24.1 |
| 2025 | 11.2 | 37.8 | 48.0 | 36.4 | 20.0 | 4.5 | 25.8 |
| Year | Women | Men | Gap (women minus men) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 18.0 | 16.9 | +1.1 |
| 2016 | 20.3 | 18.7 | +1.6 |
| 2017 | 22.2 | 20.2 | +2.0 |
| 2018 | 25.9 | 23.2 | +2.7 |
| 2019 | 27.6 | 24.3 | +3.3 |
| 2020 | 24.6 | 22.7 | +1.9 |
| 2021 | 24.5 | 21.6 | +2.9 |
| 2022 | 27.0 | 22.1 | +5.0 |
| 2023 | 23.0 | 19.3 | +3.7 |
| 2024 | 26.1 | 21.8 | +4.3 |
| 2025 | 27.6 | 23.6 | +4.0 |
IVAs: rates by age and gender, 2015–2025
| Year | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | All ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.8 | 12.7 | 15.0 | 12.0 | 7.0 | 2.8 | 8.8 |
| 2016 | 5.9 | 18.5 | 17.8 | 13.0 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 10.7 |
| 2017 | 7.9 | 24.3 | 22.4 | 14.3 | 6.6 | 2.2 | 12.7 |
| 2018 | 9.3 | 29.7 | 27.6 | 17.0 | 7.2 | 2.1 | 15.2 |
| 2019 | 10.5 | 32.6 | 31.2 | 18.1 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 16.6 |
| 2020 | 10.9 | 32.5 | 31.0 | 18.9 | 8.0 | 1.9 | 16.7 |
| 2021 | 9.9 | 32.2 | 31.5 | 20.7 | 9.6 | 2.2 | 17.2 |
| 2022 | 11.1 | 35.0 | 35.2 | 21.5 | 9.2 | 2.0 | 18.4 |
| 2023 | 6.6 | 24.2 | 26.1 | 16.3 | 6.9 | 1.3 | 13.2 |
| 2024 | 5.8 | 23.3 | 27.7 | 17.8 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 13.7 |
| 2025 | 5.5 | 22.7 | 29.4 | 20.3 | 9.7 | 2.2 | 14.7 |
| Year | Women | Men | Gap (women minus men) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8.7 | 8.8 | -0.1 |
| 2016 | 10.7 | 10.5 | +0.2 |
| 2017 | 13.0 | 12.3 | +0.6 |
| 2018 | 15.8 | 14.5 | +1.3 |
| 2019 | 17.3 | 15.9 | +1.4 |
| 2020 | 17.0 | 16.4 | +0.6 |
| 2021 | 17.9 | 16.4 | +1.5 |
| 2022 | 19.8 | 16.9 | +2.8 |
| 2023 | 13.7 | 12.7 | +0.9 |
| 2024 | 14.3 | 13.1 | +1.2 |
| 2025 | 15.1 | 14.2 | +0.9 |
Debt relief orders: rates by age and gender, 2015–2025
| Year | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | All ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3.3 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 2.8 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 5.7 |
| 2017 | 2.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 3.2 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 5.9 |
| 2019 | 3.2 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | 2.8 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 4.4 |
| 2021 | 2.3 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 4.3 |
| 2022 | 2.3 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| 2023 | 3.8 | 9.8 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 6.6 |
| 2024 | 5.6 | 13.3 | 14.1 | 12.2 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 8.8 |
| 2025 | 5.6 | 13.9 | 16.1 | 13.3 | 8.7 | 1.8 | 9.6 |
| Year | Women | Men | Gap (women minus men) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6.7 | 3.8 | +2.9 |
| 2016 | 7.2 | 4.1 | +3.1 |
| 2017 | 6.8 | 3.8 | +3.0 |
| 2018 | 7.6 | 4.2 | +3.4 |
| 2019 | 7.5 | 4.1 | +3.5 |
| 2020 | 5.5 | 3.1 | +2.3 |
| 2021 | 5.2 | 3.0 | +2.2 |
| 2022 | 6.3 | 3.4 | +2.9 |
| 2023 | 8.2 | 4.5 | +3.7 |
| 2024 | 10.8 | 6.7 | +4.2 |
| 2025 | 11.5 | 7.5 | +4.1 |
Bankruptcies: rates by age and gender, 2015–2025
| Year | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | All ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 3.3 |
| 2017 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.3 |
| 2018 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 3.6 |
| 2019 | 0.7 | 4.1 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 3.6 |
| 2020 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| 2022 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| 2023 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| 2024 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| 2025 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Year | Women | Men | Gap (women minus men) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.6 | 4.3 | -1.7 |
| 2016 | 2.4 | 4.1 | -1.7 |
| 2017 | 2.4 | 4.1 | -1.7 |
| 2018 | 2.6 | 4.5 | -1.9 |
| 2019 | 2.7 | 4.3 | -1.6 |
| 2020 | 2.1 | 3.2 | -1.1 |
| 2021 | 1.4 | 2.3 | -0.8 |
| 2022 | 1.0 | 1.8 | -0.8 |
| 2023 | 1.1 | 2.1 | -1.0 |
| 2024 | 1.0 | 2.1 | -1.1 |
| 2025 | 0.9 | 2.0 | -1.1 |
Common questions
Which age group has the highest insolvency rate?
People aged 35-44 had the highest individual insolvency rate in England and Wales in 2025, at 48.0 per 10,000 adults, nearly double the overall rate of 25.8. Source: Insolvency Service.
Are women or men more likely to become insolvent?
Women. In 2025 the insolvency rate was 27.6 per 10,000 women and 23.6 per 10,000 men. The gap is largest for debt relief orders (11.5 vs 7.5). In 2025 men were about twice as likely as women to be made bankrupt.
Are older people getting into more debt?
Insolvency rates for people aged 55 to 64 rose from 15.8 per 10,000 in 2015 to 20.0 in 2025, and for 45 to 54 year olds from 25.6 to 36.4. Rates for people aged 65 and over remain low, at 4.5.
Are young people becoming insolvent more often?
No, rates for 18 to 24 year olds have fallen from a peak of 14.4 per 10,000 in 2019 to 11.2 in 2025.
Using these statistics
You're welcome to use the figures on this page. Please credit the original source shown for each figure, and link to this page if it helped you find them:
Source: IVA Advice Online, "Insolvency by Age and Gender", https://ivaadviceonline.com/insolvency-by-age-and-gender/Download the data (CSV) – insolvency rates per 10,000 adults by age and gender for all insolvencies, IVAs, DROs and bankruptcies, England and Wales, 2015 to 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources
- Insolvency Service, Individual insolvencies by location, age and gender, England and Wales, 2025, age and gender data tables, published 27 March 2026.
This page provides general information, not advice about your circumstances.