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Following one of its busiest years to date, the International Chamber of Commerce (the ICC) has published its 2025 arbitration and alternative dispute resolution statistics (the "ICC Dispute Resolution Report"). The preliminary statistics demonstrate the ICC's position as a leading global arbitral institution. The construction, engineering and energy sectors contributed a large proportion of cases in 2025, but other sectors, including transportation, health, pharmaceuticals, telecoms were also prominent.
In 2025, a significant number of cases fell within the ICC's Expedited Procedure Provisions (the EPP) - over one third of new cases in 2025 were for a value of USD 3 million or less, making them eligible for the EPP. This has informed changes introduced by the ICC Rules 2026 , which increased the claim value for qualification under the EPP from USD 3 million to USD 4 million.
The ICC Dispute Resolution Report illustrates: (i) the vast array of sectors in which arbitration is the chosen method of dispute resolution (ii) the global reach of ICC arbitration and (iii) the value of cases going through ICC arbitration.
ICC Caseload 2025
In 2025, 881 cases were filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules and a further 13 cases were filed under the ICC Appointing Authority Rules. With 894 cases in total, 2025 marked one of the busiest years for the ICC.
Construction, engineering and energy remain the dominant sectors
ICC cases in 2025 covered a variety of sectors; however, disputes arising from the construction, engineering and energy sectors were at the top of the board, accounting for nearly 50% of all ICC arbitrations during the year.
This is indicative of: (i) international arbitration (and specifically ICC arbitration) as a preferred form of, and preferred institution for, arbitration in construction, engineering and energy projects; and (ii) the international nature of construction, engineering and energy projects (for example, with continued growth across the sector in the Middle East and Africa).
The other sectors that saw the largest use of ICC arbitration in 2025 included transportation, health, pharmaceuticals, telecoms and specialised technologies.
What do the statistics tell us about ICC arbitration in 2025?
The statistics tell us that ICC arbitration is a preferred form of dispute resolution across cases of almost all values, with parties coming from 147 countries or independent territories and claims ranging from less than USD 2,500 to more than USD 31 billion.
In 2025, arbitrations were seated in 123 cities across 70 countries or independent territories. The numbers also tell us that 2025 was a particularly busy year for the ICC, having rendered its second-highest number of awards to date, totalling 607.
The value of the disputes filed at the ICC really demonstrates the wide-ranging nature of disputes referred to ICC arbitration. A snapshot of those statistics is below:
- Average value (USD 50 million) - ICC arbitration continued to attract high-value disputes in 2025. The average amount in dispute exceeded USD 50 million for newly filed cases and USD 172 million for cases pending at year-end. The aggregate value of disputes amounted to approximately USD 41 billion for new filings and USD 299 billion across the pending caseload.
- Median value (USD 5 million) – In 2025, the median amount in dispute in new cases was USD 5 million and USD 14 million in total cases pending at the end of the year.
- Lower value (USD 3 million) – nonetheless, ICC arbitration also remains widely used in lower-value disputes, as well as the more complex and higher-value disputes.In 2025, 36% of new cases involved claims worth USD 3 million or less, which, at that time, was the threshold for the EPP.In 2025, 169 new cases were administered under the EPP.
What will 2026 look like for ICC arbitration?
Earlier this year, we set out some of the key changes to the ICC Arbitration Rules brought into force in 2026: 2026 ICC Rules of Arbitration: Key Changes at a Glance.
Considering the 2026 updates to the ICC Rules in tandem with the ICC Dispute Resolution Report, the EPP will invariably govern a large proportion of disputes brought through ICC arbitration in 2026. The rise in the threshold for EPP from USD 3 million to USD 4 million means that a larger number of lower-value cases will be captured by the expedited procedure.
Are the ICC Rules suitable for my contract?
Our specialist international arbitration practitioners across Canada, Europe and the Middle East have wide-ranging experience advising on and operating all major arbitration rules, from negotiating suitable arbitration and dispute resolution provisions at contract set-up, through to obtaining and enforcing arbitration awards.
For help devising suitable dispute resolution provisions, or to talk about a prospective or existing dispute, please contact Gordon Bell, Tom Price or another member of our International Arbitration team.
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