With arbitration becoming increasingly popular worldwide, Arbitration Lab is excited to launch its annual “World Arbitration Caseload” report, tracking case trends across major global arbitral institutions.
The World Arbitration Caseload relies on publicly available data to capture the current landscape and trends in arbitration. The first edition provides a broad overview, while future editions will dive into specific aspects of arbitration proceedings. With all the latest annual reports from key arbitral institutions now available, it’s a perfect time to examine their performance.
The 2024 World Arbitration Caseload reveals a steady global growth in arbitration, primarily driven by commercial disputes. The busiest arbitral institutions are based in China, which handles the majority of cases, while some of the fastest-growing institutions are also emerging in Asia.
1. Arbitration continues to grow around the world
Our analysis of 15 leading business institutions and the most commonly used arbitration rules reveals a steady rise in the number of arbitration cases. In 2023, the volume of cases grew by nearly one-third compared to the previous year, highlighting the ongoing growth in arbitration.
2. The majority of arbitrated cases result from commercial disputes
While there are specialized forms of arbitration and institutions (such as those for sports, commodities, investor-state, or state-to-state disputes), the majority of arbitration cases stem from commercial contracts between businesses.
3. The busiest arbitral institutions of the world are based in China, where the lion’s share of arbitrated disputes takes place
In 2023, 72 percent of all cases in the dataset were resolved in Chine under the auspices of Chinese arbitral institutions. The global share of China-based disputes has also increased by 5 percent in 2024 (from 67% to 72%). It must be noted that the vat majority of China-based disputes are domestic and do not have an international element.
4. The fastest growing arbitral institutions are based in Asia
Four of the world’s five fastest-growing arbitral institutions are based in China, with Singapore as the only non-Chinese institution in this top tier. The Shanghai International Arbitration Commission and Singapore International Arbitration Centre nearly doubled their caseloads in 2023. Additionally, the Beijing Arbitration Commission and Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration each grew by an impressive 45%. Notably, two of the top five fastest-growing institutions are located in Shanghai, which has now become the busiest arbitration hub globally, handling a total of 12,227 cases. By comparison, the ICC handled 890 cases worldwide in 2023.
On the other hand, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, also based in Asia, saw a notable decline in activity, with its caseload dropping by about 20%.
The World Arbitration Caseload signals a strong rise in arbitration in the world and particularly in Asia, led by institutions in China and Singapore. Although we need more time to reach conclusions related to long-term trends, Shanghai’s remarkable caseload emphasizes its emergence as a central hub for arbitration in China, while Hong Kong’s downturn may indicate shifting preferences in the Asian arbitration landscape.
In the coming years, we aim to expand the World Arbitration Caseload, broadening the data we analyse to capture global trends in arbitration. If your firm is interested in sponsoring this initiative, please reach out to us at info@arbitrationlab.com.
This report was prepared by Yarik Kryvoi and Anna Petrig with assistance of Darren Leow Yee Kiat (University of Oxford).