The ICC International Court of Arbitration has released its preliminary dispute resolution statistics for 2025, revealing a year of historic growth, a record-breaking pending caseload, and a significant milestone in the institution’s century-long history. According to the data, 881 new cases were filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules, while an additional 13 cases were registered under the ICC Appointing Authority Rules. This combined total of 894 new filings positions 2025 among the top three busiest years for the Court since its inception in 1923.
By the conclusion of the 2025 calendar year, the ICC Court was managing a record 1,869 ongoing cases, the highest volume of pending matters in the institution’s history. This surge in activity culminated in a historic landmark in December, when the Court registered its 30,000th case under the ICC Arbitration Rules. This milestone underscores the ICC’s enduring role as a primary venue for the resolution of complex international commercial and investment disputes.
Procedural Innovations and Emergency Relief
The 2025 data highlights the continued reliance of the global legal community on the ICC’s specialized procedural mechanisms. A total of 30 new cases commenced with applications for an Emergency Arbitrator (EA). Since the ICC introduced the EA procedure in 2012 to provide urgent temporary relief before a tribunal is formally constituted, the institution has administered 287 such applications.
The diversity of parties seeking emergency relief in 2025 was particularly notable, involving 84 parties from every continent. Eleven of these applications involved multiple parties, reflecting the increasing complexity of modern commercial contracts. While the ICC is synonymous with international disputes, eight of the EA applications filed in 2025 occurred within the context of domestic disputes, suggesting that the benefits of the ICC’s emergency procedures are increasingly being recognized by local markets as well.
The Expedited Procedure Provisions (EPP), designed to provide a streamlined and cost-effective process for lower-value disputes, also saw robust usage. In 2025, 169 new cases were administered under the EPP. Since its establishment in 2017, the ICC has handled 1,034 expedited cases, resulting in 591 awards to date. To support the continued growth of this segment, the ICC released a new comprehensive Report, Toolkit, and Factsheet in 2025, offering procedural guidance to arbitrators and parties on navigating the nuances of accelerated proceedings.
Global Reach and Party Demographics
The 2025 statistics affirm the ICC’s status as a truly global institution. The cases filed during the year involved 2,531 parties, marking the second-highest number of participants on record, surpassed only by the 3,099 parties recorded in 2016 during a unique spike of related small claims.
These parties originated from 147 countries or independent territories, matching the record for jurisdictional coverage previously set in 2019. The geographic data reveals a significant uptick in participation from North America, East and South Asia, and the Pacific. Notably, India returned to the top 10 nationality rankings, reflecting the country’s growing integration into the global arbitration ecosystem and recent domestic legal reforms aimed at promoting arbitration.
The top 10 nationalities represented in 2025 remained largely consistent with previous years, led by the United States (11.2% of all parties), Brazil (8.4%), and Spain (5.6%). The remainder of the top 10 included France, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Türkiye, and India. The strong presence of Brazilian and Mexican parties highlights the continued dominance of the ICC in the Latin American market, while the prominence of the UAE and China underscores the institution’s strength in key emerging economic hubs.
The Geography of Arbitral Seats
The choice of the "seat" of arbitration is a critical decision for parties, as it determines the legal framework and the level of judicial support or intervention. In 2025, ICC arbitral tribunals were seated in 123 different cities across 70 countries or territories. This nearly matched the 2021 record of 127 cities in 71 countries.
Traditional arbitration hubs maintained their dominance, with France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, and Singapore leading the rankings. However, the list of top jurisdictions also included Brazil, Spain, Germany, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, indicating a shift toward a more multipolar arbitration landscape where regional centers are increasingly trusted to host high-stakes international proceedings.
Financial Scale and the Value of Disputes
The financial magnitude of the disputes handled by the ICC remains staggering. The aggregate value of all cases pending at the end of 2025 reached US$299 billion. The individual claims varied wildly in scale, ranging from small-stakes disputes of less than US$2,500 to massive, multi-billion-dollar litigations reaching as high as US$31 billion.
For cases newly registered in 2025, the average amount in dispute was approximately US$50 million. However, the average value for all pending cases was significantly higher at approximately US$172 million, reflecting the fact that larger, more complex disputes often remain in the system for longer durations. The median amount in dispute for new cases was US$5 million, while the median for pending cases stood at US$14 million. These figures demonstrate that while the ICC is the preferred venue for "mega-disputes," it remains highly accessible and frequently used for mid-sized commercial disagreements.
Performance and Arbitral Awards
The ICC Court maintained a high level of productivity in 2025, approving a total of 607 arbitral awards. This represents the second-highest annual total in the Court’s history, following the 2021 record of 630 awards. The 2025 output included 444 final awards, 118 partial awards, and 45 awards by consent.
The "award by consent" metric is particularly telling, as it indicates cases where parties reached a settlement during the proceedings and requested the tribunal to record the settlement in the form of an award. This allows the settlement to be enforceable under the New York Convention, providing parties with additional security and finality.
Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, remarked on the year’s performance: “We greatly appreciate the continued trust that the global business community, as well as states and state-owned enterprises, place in ICC’s dispute resolution services, for cases large and small, across the sectors, and around the world.”
Growth in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Beyond traditional arbitration, the ICC International Centre for ADR reported steady activity in 2025. A total of 65 new requests for services were filed, including 36 under the Mediation Rules, 25 under the Expert Rules, three under the DOCDEX Rules (specialized for documentary instruments), and one under the Dispute Board Rules.
The ICC’s ADR services attracted 156 parties from 46 jurisdictions. While Europe provided the largest share of ADR users (62 parties), there was significant participation from Asia (34), Latin America and the Caribbean (24), North America (23), and Africa (13). The diversity of these figures suggests that mediation and expert determination are becoming increasingly popular global alternatives to adversarial litigation or arbitration.
Analysis of Implications
The 2025 statistics reflect several broader trends in the global economy and the legal profession. First, the record number of pending cases suggests that while the ICC is attracting more business, the complexity of modern disputes may be leading to longer durations for resolution. The institution’s focus on the Expedited Procedure Provisions appears to be a direct response to this challenge, offering a "fast track" for simpler matters to ensure the system remains efficient.
Second, the geographic data points to the continued "de-Westernization" of international arbitration. While the US and Europe remain central, the rise of India, the UAE, and Brazil as top-tier participants indicates that the ICC has successfully adapted its services to meet the needs of diverse legal cultures and emerging markets.
Third, the massive $299 billion aggregate value of pending cases highlights the ICC’s systemic importance to the global economy. As international trade becomes more fraught with geopolitical tension and supply chain disruptions, the existence of a neutral, predictable, and enforceable dispute resolution mechanism is essential for maintaining investor confidence and commercial stability.
The full 2025 ICC Dispute Resolution Statistics report, which will include deeper dives into industry sectors (such as construction, energy, and technology) and more granular data on the gender and diversity of arbitrator appointments, is scheduled for release later this year. The ICC has noted that the figures presented in this preliminary summary are subject to final verification but represent a clear picture of an institution operating at the peak of its historical influence. For practitioners and scholars, these statistics provide a vital barometer for the health of international commerce and the evolving preferences of the global legal community.
About the Author
