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Debt Collection Agencies in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Debt collection agencies have entered a recovery period as consumer repayment pressure has returned to more normal levels, although inflation-adjusted revenue remains below its 2021 level. Pandemic stimulus, payment forbearance and high household savings reduced delinquencies and limited creditor placements in 2021 and 2022. As this support faded, inflation raised living costs, savings declined and higher interest rates increased borrowing expenses, causing missed payments to rise across consumer credit products. Credit-card balances and serious delinquency have been especially important because unsecured revolving debt is commonly assigned to third-party agencies after creditors exhaust their internal recovery efforts. Auto loans, mortgages and medical debts have also supported workloads, while their differing recovery requirements have made placement composition increasingly important. Despite recent growth, revenue has been sinking at a CAGR of 1.4% over the past five years and is expected to reach $15.9 billion in 2026, when revenue will climb by an estimated 4.3%.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released September 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 56144. The Debt Collection Agencies industry comprises businesses that pursue payments on debts owed by individuals and companies. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and charge a fee or a percentage of the total amount owed. Other agencies purchase debt portfolios from creditors at a discount and then pursue outstanding balances for their gain. Related terms covered in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States include nonrevolving credit, revolving credit, skip tracing, collectivity rate, primary placement, secondary placement, tertiary placement and accounts receivable.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States include Intensive collections services, Standard collections services and Early‑delinquency collections services.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States include Encore Capital Group, Inc. and Alorica Inc.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States is $15.9bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States in 2026?
There are 5,494 businesses in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.3 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States?
The Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States?
The Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States has been declining at a CAGR of 1.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States are Encore Capital Group, Inc. and Alorica Inc.
What does the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States include?
Intensive collections services and Standard collections services are part of the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States is Encore Capital Group, Inc..
How competitive is the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Debt Collection Agencies industry in the United States.
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