Hawaii bankruptcy filings plunged 20.4 percent in October as they closed in on their lowest yearly total since before the recession.

Statewide filings have been flat or down for 31 months in a row. The only month during that period when they did not fall was June 2013, when the number of cases — 185 — matched the total of June 2012.

Through the first 10 months of this year, there have been 1,462 bankruptcy filings, or an average of about 146 a month, according to data released Monday by U.S. Bankruptcy Court. At that pace, 2014 would end with 1,752 filings, which would be the lowest total since 1,381 were filed in 2007 — the year before the 18-month recession began. It also would mark the fourth year in a row that bankruptcies had declined from the previous 12 months.

At their recent peak in 2010, bankruptcy cases averaged 330 a month and hit 3,954 for the year as the local economy recovered from the 2008-2009 recession.

In October the most common type of bankruptcy — Chapter 7 liquidation — dropped 20 percent to 100 from 125.

Chapter 13 filings, which allow individuals with regular sources of income to set up plans to pay creditors over time, fell 20.5 percent to 31 from 39.

The other major type of filing, Chapter 11, had two cases last month as well as in October 2013. Chapter 11 filings allow a business to reorganize.

Across the state, October bankruptcies rose in three counties but fell on Hawaii island. In Honolulu, filings declined 26.9 percent to 79 from 108, Maui cases dropped 22.9 percent to 27 from 35 and Kauai cases fell 30 percent to 7 from 10. Cases rose 42.9 percent to 20 from 14 on Hawaii island.