According to its figures, 17,931 petitions for bankruptcy were issued from January to the end of March. This is 15% fewer than those from the same period of 2007.
The number of individuals choosing bankruptcy - called debtors' petitions - stood at 13,080 in the first quarter of 2008 - up from 11,674 in the previous three months, but still 13% down on the number of petitions in the same quarter of 2007.
Some 4,851 people were facing forced bankruptcy - creditors' petitions - in the first three months of 2008, up slightly on the 4,583 of the previous quarter but down 15% on the same time a year ago.
