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How many discharged bankrupts are there?

I an curious as to how many discharged bankrupts there are in the UK as I feel it must now be a high percentage of the population.
Does anyone have this figure?
Building a new life after bankruptcy

Comments

  • MTDancer wrote: »
    I an curious as to how many discharged bankrupts there are in the UK as I feel it must now be a high percentage of the population.
    Does anyone have this figure?

    Send an FOI to BIS
  • wharty
    wharty Posts: 426 Forumite
    Ask Lowells.
  • debtinfo
    debtinfo Posts: 7,012 Forumite
    I think an FOI request is bound to fail as the IS does not hold the information requested. But here is my best guess, by my anecdotal experience the average age of a bankrupt is about 40 and I have taken the average age of death to be about 80. (im sure someone could find better numbers but this is just an educated guess). Given that bankruptcy lasts one year nowdays I have counted the number of bankruptcies from 1972 to 2012. which comes out at roughly 900,000 of about 1.5% of the population. Now that does not take into account people who have had their discharge suspended or who are on their 2nd/3rd etc bankruptcies. It also does not include Scottish bankruptcies which are governed by a different body. It also doesent count bankrupts that have moved abroad or people bankrupt in other countries that have moved here. but I would say between 1% and 2% of the population would be a fair approximation.

    ps if you want to play with the figures the data is all here

    http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/historicdata/IndividualInsolvencies.xls
    Hi, im Debtinfo, i am an ex insolvency examiner and over the years have personally dealt with thousands of bankruptcy cases.
    Please note that any views i put forth are not those of my former employer The Insolvency Service and do not constitute professional advice, you should always seek professional advice before entering insolvency proceedings.
  • MTDancer
    MTDancer Posts: 244 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    who are they?
    Building a new life after bankruptcy
  • alastairq
    alastairq Posts: 5,030 Forumite
    MTDancer wrote: »
    who are they?

    after all the concern over identification of those who have been bankrupt, and how, unlike hardened criminals, a BR has a public record for life....now you want to find out who we all are, in a public forum?

    :T:T
    No, I don't think all other drivers are idiots......but some are determined to change my mind.......
  • MTDancer
    MTDancer Posts: 244 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    haha, no, who are Lowells.
    I was thinking that if we are such a vast number perhaps we could change non bankrupts attitudes? Perhaps to NOT have a record for life
    Building a new life after bankruptcy
  • MTDancer
    MTDancer Posts: 244 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    I feel as if, in the current climate, that the figure would be really high
    Building a new life after bankruptcy
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