The number of Hawaii residents and businesses filing for bankruptcy fell in August for the 18th consecutive month, although the pace of new filings remains higher than pre-recession levels.

The 208 cases filed in August represented a 22 percent decrease from the 268 cases filed the same month a year earlier, according to a report from U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Bankruptcy filings have been trending lower since averaging 330 a month during the recent peak in 2010. However, the average of 221 cases per month through the first eight months of this year compares with 115 cases a month in 2007 before the recession began taking its toll on the Hawaii economy.

Bankruptcies fell in August in all counties except Maui. In Honolulu County, the number of cases fell to 113 in August, a 32 percent drop from 167 the same month last year.

In Hawaii County, filings fell 13 percent to 26 cases, and in Kauai County they fell 55 percent to 10 cases. Filings rose to 59 in Maui County, an 11 percent increase from August 2011.

The number of Chapter 7 liquidation cases fell to 151, a 29 percent decline from a year earlier. Chapter 13 filings rose 6 percent to 57 cases. Chapter 13 petitions generally are for individuals planning to repay a portion or all of their debts.

The debt load carried by Hawaii residents remains high compared with other states, according to the latest data from CreditKarma, a credit scoring website.

The average credit card balance in Hawaii was $7,142 in July, up 1.3 percent from the same month a year earlier. It was the second-highest average in the country after Alaska’s $7,480.

The average mortgage balance rose 7.2 percent to a nation-leading $322,347 during the same period.

The average amount outstanding on an auto loan rose 3.7 percent to $15,784, while the average student loan balance fell 3.3 percent to $27,240.