The number of personal bankruptcy filings jumped to 989 last month, up 10.5 per cent on October and an increase of more than 17 per cent year on year - reversing a steady decline since August.
However, the number of petitions filed for compulsory winding up dropped to 43 and the number of winding-up orders made by courts to 67. Both figures represent record post-handover lows.
Lawmaker and Bank of East Asia chairman and chief executive David Li Kwok-po could not offer a reason for the rise in bankruptcy petitions, since cases usually peaked in the summer.
This year, August saw the highest number of bankruptcy petitions - 1,078.
Hong Kong's economy grew by a better-than-expected 6.8 per cent in the third quarter, and the government expects full-year growth to reach 6.5 per cent, up from its previous forecast of 5 per cent.
But bankruptcy data reflect past economic conditions.