Debt Collection Statistics (2026)
Debt in collections touches a large share of American households, and when collectors go to court, most cases end without the consumer ever responding. These figures come from the CFPB, the New York Fed, the Urban Institute, Pew and the US Department of Labor.
Each statistic below names its year and source and links to the original publication, so you can check the number and cite it.
36 statistics, each linked to its source. Updated .
Key statistics
- In August 2025, 23% of people with a credit record had debt in collections, according to the Urban Institute's analysis of credit bureau data.
- 23%
- Urban Institute, Debt in America: An Interactive Map
- In August 2025, the median amount of debt in collections among people with collections debt was $2,528, according to the Urban Institute.
- $2,528
- Urban Institute, Debt in America: An Interactive Map
- In jurisdictions with data from the decade before 2020, courts resolved more than 70% of debt collection lawsuits with default judgments for the plaintiff, according to Pew.
- more than 70%
- The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
- In 2025, the CFPB received approximately 387,400 debt collection complaints, according to the CFPB.
- 387,400
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025
- In 2026, federal law caps garnishment for ordinary consumer debts at 25% of an employee's disposable earnings once weekly disposable earnings reach $290, according to the US Department of Labor.
- 25%
- US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #30: Wage Garnishment Protections of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA)
How many Americans have debt in collections?
In August 2025, the median amount of debt in collections among people with collections debt was $2,528, according to the Urban Institute.
In August 2025, 29% of people in communities of color had debt in collections, according to the Urban Institute.
In August 2025, 19% of people in majority white communities had debt in collections, according to the Urban Institute.
How much household debt do Americans have, and how much is delinquent?
At the end of the second quarter of 2026, US household debt totaled $18.8 trillion, according to the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, 2026:Q2
In the second quarter of 2026, 10.6% of student loan balances were 90 or more days past due, according to the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, 2026:Q2
About 137,000 consumers had a new bankruptcy notation added to their credit reports in the second quarter of 2026, according to the New York Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, 2026:Q2
How much medical debt is in collections?
As of June 2021, there was $88 billion in medical debt on consumer credit records, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Medical Debt Burden in the United States
In 2020, the median medical collection on a credit report was $310, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Medical Debt Burden in the United States
In August 2025, the median medical debt in collections among people with medical collections was $1,448, according to the Urban Institute.
At the end of 2021, 20 million people, nearly 1 in 12 US adults, owed significant medical debt (more than $250), according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, The burden of medical debt in the United States
At the end of 2021, people in the US owed at least $220 billion in medical debt, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, The burden of medical debt in the United States
How many debt collection lawsuits are filed?
In 2013, about 4 million debt collection lawsuits were filed in US state courts, up from fewer than 1.7 million in 1993, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
In 2013, debt buyers purchased $98 billion in debts, up from $6 billion in 1993, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
The Debt Collection Lab has tracked 7,745,145 debt collection lawsuits filed from 2009 to 2026 in the 11 states and 333 counties it covers.
How often do debt collection lawsuits end in default judgment?
In jurisdictions with data from the decade before 2020, courts resolved more than 70% of debt collection lawsuits with default judgments for the plaintiff, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
Studies of debt collection lawsuits from 2010 to 2019 found that less than 10% of defendants had a lawyer, compared with nearly all plaintiffs, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
In Utah debt cases disposed from 2015 to 2017, 53% of defendants with a lawyer won their cases, compared with 19% of those without one, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
In 2024, 11% of CFPB debt collection complaints about negative or legal action concerned being sued without proper notification of the lawsuit, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: CFPB Annual Report 2025
In 2024, 14% of CFPB debt collection complaints about negative or legal action concerned threats to sue on an old debt, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: CFPB Annual Report 2025
How common is wage garnishment for debt?
A 2017 ADP study found that 1 in 14 US workers were having their paychecks garnished, according to Pew.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, How Debt Collectors Are Transforming the Business of State Courts
In 2026, federal law caps garnishment for ordinary consumer debts at 25% of an employee's disposable earnings once weekly disposable earnings reach $290, according to the US Department of Labor.
In 2026, no wages can be garnished for ordinary debts if weekly disposable earnings are $217.50 or less, according to the US Department of Labor.
In 2026, up to 50% of a worker's disposable earnings can be garnished for child support or alimony if the worker supports another spouse or child, according to the US Department of Labor.
How many people complain about debt collectors?
In 2025, the CFPB received approximately 387,400 debt collection complaints, according to the CFPB.
In 2024, the CFPB received approximately 207,800 debt collection complaints, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: CFPB Annual Report 2025
In 2025, the monthly average of complaints about attempts to collect a debt not owed rose 115% compared with the prior two years, according to the CFPB.
In 2024, 60% of consumers who complained to the CFPB that a debt was not owed said the debt was not theirs, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: CFPB Annual Report 2025
In 2024, 28% of CFPB complaints about debts not owed reported that the debt resulted from identity theft, according to the CFPB.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: CFPB Annual Report 2025
In 2025, companies responded to 97% of the debt collection complaints the CFPB sent to them, according to the CFPB.
Frequently asked questions
What share of Americans have debt in collections?
In August 2025, 23% of people with a credit record had debt in collections, with a median of $2,528, according to the Urban Institute.
How often do debt collection lawsuits end in default judgment?
Pew found that in jurisdictions with data from the decade before 2020, courts resolved more than 70% of debt collection lawsuits with default judgments for the plaintiff.
How much of my paycheck can be garnished for a consumer debt?
Under federal law, at most 25% of disposable earnings can be garnished for ordinary debts, and nothing can be garnished if weekly disposable earnings are $217.50 or less, according to the US Department of Labor.
How many people complain about debt collectors?
The CFPB received approximately 387,400 debt collection complaints in 2025, up from approximately 207,800 in 2024.
Do people sued for debt usually have a lawyer?
No. Pew found that studies from 2010 to 2019 showed less than 10% of debt collection defendants had a lawyer, compared with nearly all plaintiffs.
Cite this page
You are welcome to use these statistics. Please cite the original source of each number and link to this page:
Oakclause. "Debt Collection Statistics (2026)." Updated October 2026. https://www.oakclause.com/statistics/debt-collection-statistics
How we compiled these statistics
Every number comes from a published source that we opened and checked, mostly government agencies, academic research and established surveys. Each statement names the year the data refers to, and we keep the newest edition we could find. We do not combine numbers from different sources into new figures. Read our editorial policy.
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