The Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI) presents its statistics for 2025. These figures show that the NAI has continued to grow significantly this year. The number of new cases filed has increased compared to last year (from 56 to 78). In addition, the total monetary value of the disputes has reached a record high of €5.4 billion. Furthermore, the duration of the proceedings is included in the statistics for the first time.
Increasing number of cases and record value
In 2025, 78 new cases were brought before the NAI. This continues the upward trend of recent years. The total number of pending cases as at 31 December 2025 also stands at 78.
Particularly striking is the total monetary value of the disputes, which reached a historic high of €5.4 billion. These figures underline that parties continue to trust the NAI to settle complex and financially significant disputes, both nationally and internationally. The cases cover a wide range of sectors, including energy, retail, technology and real estate.
Smooth turnaround times
New in the NAI statistics for 2025 is the reporting of both the median and average turnaround times. For regular arbitration proceedings, the median turnaround time is 12 months, while the average is 16 months. For summary proceedings, the median turnaround time is 33 days, with an average of 42 days.
According to Tomas Vaal, director of the NAI:
The statistics show that the number of cases is picking up again and that parties are turning to the NAI for commercial disputes involving large sums of money.
I am also pleased that, since this year, the NAI has been reporting on the duration of proceedings. With a median duration of 12 months, the NAI demonstrates that proceedings at the NAI are settled quickly. By way of comparison, ICC arbitration has a median duration of 22 months (2024). Arbitration is faster than resolving a complex dispute through the courts, which can easily take four years.
