New figures from the Insolvency and Trustee Service reveal a 50 per cent rise in bankruptcies in year-on-year comparisons of the June quarter.

Between April and June this year, 66 Canberrans declared either personal or business bankruptcy, up from 44 cases in the June quarter of 2008 the highest percentage rise in the country.

The number of bankruptcies over 2008-09 also rose sharply to 245, up from 214 in 2007-08, a 15 per cent rise and the second highest rate in the country after WA, which saw bankruptcies rise by 17 per cent.

Only two states South Australia and the Northern Territory recorded a fall in the number of bankruptcies between 2007-08 and 2008-09, with all other states and territories recording rises of between 5 and 17 per cent.

The overall number of bankruptcies nationally rose from 25,970 in 2007-08 to 27,503 in 2008-09, although the number of bankruptcies fell by 2 per cent from the March quarter to the June quarter.

About 86 per cent of bankruptcies in both the last quarter and the past year have been personal bankruptcies, with the other 14 per cent being business-related.

The figures do not include corporate bankruptcies, which are dealt with by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Care Financial Services director Carmel Franklin said more and more Canberra families were feeling the ''devastating'' effect of the global financial crisis.

''We have been a little immune from here, but that is starting to change and people in the ACT are being affected. And for those who are feeling the effects, the impact is as devastating as anywhere else,'' she said.

''We have seen a large increase in the number of callers and people seeking info about bankruptcy and are just managing to keep up with demand, which we anticipate will continue to grow.''

Canberra Business Council chief executive Chris Faulks said the recent retail figures had been encouraging, but the Canberra economy was still struggling.

''These are concerning figures and these need to be watched closely. Although the ACT is cushioned by high public sector employment, there will inevitably be an impact on businesses,'' she said.

''Of the 25,000 business in the ACT, about 90 per cent have less than 20 employees, and they are often the most vulnerable businesses during a recession.''

Ms Franklin said one of the most concerning things about the figures had been the demographic change in people seeking help.

''Our traditional client base has been low to moderate-income earners, people renting, but over the last year we have seen more middle-income earners,'' she said.

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