SEC EDGAR Filing Statistics

The page provides a variety of statistics about the SEC EDGAR database, such as filing volume over time and most filed form types. Filings are counted by their accession number. The data is updated daily and is available for download.

Filing Volume per Day in 2026

On a daily basis, between 2,000 to 11,000 filings are published on EDGAR. Form 4 and Form 8-K filings are consistently disclosed every day without exception, indicating their continuous nature. In contrast, filings such as NPORT, 13F, and SC 13G are more seasonal and adhere to specific intervals mandated by the corresponding regulations.

The following chart presents an overview of the number of filings filed per day, categorized by different EDGAR form types. Each bar is segmented into sections, with each section representing a specific EDGAR filing type. By hovering your mouse over a particular bar section, you can see the number of filings filed for each form type on that specific day.

Active EDGAR Filers and Annual Filing Volumes (1994 - 2025)

The following figure shows the annual number of new and existing EDGAR filing entities, measured against total annual filing volume. An "old entity" is defined as one that has filed in previous years and continued to file in the year counted, while a "new entity" refers to one filing for the first time in that year, with entities counted by their Central Index Key (CIK). Filing volume is determined by counting all filings by their unique accession number, not by the number of CIKs referenced.

Monthly Filing Statistics (2004 - 2025)

The following figure shows the average (mean) number of SEC filings published per month from 2004 to 2025, with the 2.5% and 97.5% percentiles highlighted and the high and low months marked accordingly. Filing activity is consistently peaking in February at an average of 81,000 filings and reaching its lowest point in September, averaging just 41,000 filings, followed by October. The seasonal pattern is partially influenced by regulatory deadlines, such as annual 10-K or SC 13G filings. However, the primary driver of this pattern is event-driven filings, which are not tied to specific dates of the year. These filings occur in response to particular events, such as insider trading on Form 4 or material events reported on Form 8-K.

The temporal pattern found in the monthly filing statistics can be decomposed into constituent parts by grouping form types into the following categories:

• Filings triggered by specific events
• Volume spikes once a year
• Quarterly seasonal volume spikes
• Consistent information flow without a pattern

Filings Triggered by Specific Events

These are mostly unscheduled filings and include eight of the most frequently disclosed form types, namely insider trading forms (Form 3 and 4), material event disclosures (Forms 8-K and 6-K), mutual fund prospectuses (Form 497, 497K), ownership reports by activist investors (Form SC 13D, D/A), and private security offerings (Form D, D/A). The data reveals distinct seasonal patterns, with peaks typically observed between February and May, and noticeable declines during the summer months.

Once-Annually Occurring Volume Spikes

These are filings required to be filed once per year and include annual reports and audited financial statements on Form 10-K, shareholder proxy statements (DEF 14A, DEFA14A), mutual fund annual reports (N-CEN), reports disclosing of over 5% passive ownership (Form SC 13G, 13G/A) and annual statements of ownership by insiders (Form 5). The data reveals peaks in February and March, with a decline in filings observed throughout the remainder of the year.

Quarterly Seasonal Volume Spikes

Quarterly-recurring pattern driven by regulatory schedules. Form 10-K and Form 10-Q are classified as the same group as companies are required to disclose quarterly reports four times a year - one annual report on Form 10-K and three quarterly updates on Form 10-Q. Annual reports peak in March, and quarterly in May, August and November. Similarly, mutual fund and hedge fund reports (Form NPORT-P and 13F-HR) also peak in February, May, August and November every year.

Consistent Information Flow Without a Pattern

These filings exhibit a stable average monthly volume throughout the year, showing no discernible pattern. Examples include complex financial product prospectuses (Form 424B2) and supplemental information provided during a securities offering (Form FWP), as well as SEC comment letters (CORRESP, LETTER) used by the SEC to comment on filings published by companies and other entities, for example, to request more information.

Most Frequent Form Types Filed per Year (2012 - 2026)

Form 4 reporting insider trades consistently ranks first in terms of the number of filings filed across the years, while Form 8-K, which is filed to report material events, consistently ranks second. Insider trading disclosures on Form 3, 4 and 5 make up around 25% of all filings in the EDGAR database.

The filing volume of prospectuses in Form 424B2 experienced a remarkable growth of 400% between 2012 and 2022, making it the form type with the most substantial increase among all EDGAR filings. This significant surge reflects a growing trend in the issuance of prospectuses, indicating heightened activity and interest in securities and debt offerings, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since its introduction in 2019, Form N-PORT has consistently held the fourth position in terms of the number of filings per year since 2020. These filings occur quarterly, similar to Form 10-Q filings. However, the number of N-PORT filings surpasses the number of 10-Q filings by a significant margin. In fact, N-PORT filings are 2.5 times greater in quantity, representing a 150% increase, even when considering the additional 10-K filings added to the number of 10-Q filings.

The number of Form D filings filed per year increased by over 100%, more than doubling, from 2012 to 2022. This upward trend suggests an increasing interest among companies to raise capital through private offerings. By including the number of amended Form D filings, also known as Form D/A, in the count, they even secure the third position in terms of the highest number of filings per form type per year.

Filing Volume per Year (2012 - 2026)

Between the years 2012 and 2022, the annual number of EDGAR filings filed has ranged from 645,863 filings in 2012 to a peak of 820,057 filings in 2021. In 2022, there was a slight decrease compared to the previous year, with 788,914 filings. The increase in filing activity from 2020 to 2022 can be attributed to the introduction of N-PORT filings in late 2019, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2019, the number of filings remained relatively stable, even declining slightly from 2014 to 2016.

Filing Volume per Month in 2025

Top 20 Most Frequent Form Types Filed in 2025