Utah's 2003 bankruptcy rate ranked third-highest in the nation on a per capita basis, according to a soon-to-be-published report.

Christian E. Weller, a senior economist for the Center for American Progress, a research group based in Washington, D.C., said Utah's rate was 9.2 consumer bankruptcy filings per 1,000 people.

Utah tied with Georgia for the third-highest bankruptcy rate. Tennessee had the highest rate at 11.1 filings per 1,000 people. Alaska had the lowest at 2.1 filings.

"Utah's rate is well above the national average," Weller said. "Utah has seen large changes over the last few years in bankruptcy rates. It's a pretty dire picture."

A separate ranking announced earlier this year by the Virginia-based American Bankruptcy Institute indicated that during the 12-month period ended March 31, Utah ranked No. 1 in the country in households per bankruptcy filing, with one of every 36.5 households filing for bankruptcy. Nationally, one of every 72.8 households files for bankruptcy.

According to the Center for American Progress, in 1980, Utah's bankruptcy rate was just 1.4 filings per 1,000 people. By 1990, the rate had nearly tripled to four filings per 1,000 people. During the economic boom of the 1990s, the rate continued to climb. By 2001, the rate soared to 8.3 filings per 1,000 people.

"Utah has seen relatively sharp increases in the bankruptcy rate," Weller said. "From 2000 to 2003, Utah's bankruptcies increased by 2.6 cases per 1,000 people, which, in terms of changes, makes it the third-largest increase nationally."

Weller attributes Utah's insolvency run-up, in part, to lower-than-average per capita disposable income levels. In 2003, Utah was the fourth-lowest in per capita disposable income at $12,392.

The District of Columbia showed the highest 2003 per capita disposable income at $22,360, with a bankruptcy rate of four filings per 1,000 people, well below the national rate. Connecticut, was No. 2 in highest per capita income, at $19,986, with a bankruptcy rate of 3.5 filings per 1,000 people.

Typically, Weller said, states with higher income levels and higher rates of medical insurance coverage showed overall lower bankruptcy rates.

"That tends to be one strongest components," Weller said. "It doesn't matter which income you actually look at, whether you look at just total income, after-tax income or wages. Per capita income is a much stronger predictor (for bankruptcy) than the unemployment rate."