Bankruptcy filings plunged last year in Massachusetts and nationwide as consumers continued to shun credit card debt and beefed up their savings.

Personal bankruptcies fell 18 percent in Massachusetts last year, according to Warren Group, the Boston company that publishes Banker & Tradesman. Including businesses, there were about 16,100 filings for bankruptcy protection in the state in 2012, down from more than 19,700 in 2011.