Data · High Courts
How Many Cases Are Pending in Indian High Courts (2026)
As on 31 December 2025, 63,66,023 cases were pending across India’s 25 High Courts. The figure comes from a written reply by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on 13 February 2026, drawn from the National Judicial Data Grid, and it rose 4.75% over the previous three years. This page gives the total, the busiest High Courts, and how to check the live number. Last verified October 2026.
- Pending across 25 High Courts: 63,66,023 cases, as on 31 December 2025.
- Trend: up 4.75% over three years.
- Busiest: Allahabad High Court with 12,07,240 pending, the highest of any High Court.
- Source: Lok Sabha written reply by the Law Minister, 13 February 2026, drawing on the NJDG.
- Live figure: check njdg.ecourts.gov.in, which refreshes continuously.
01The number, dated and sourced
India has 25 High Courts, and their combined pendency is counted together in the official reply.
| Metric | Value | As on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases pending across all 25 High Courts | 63,66,023 | 31 December 2025 | Lok Sabha written reply, 13 Feb 2026 |
| Change over three years | up 4.75% | 31 December 2025 | Lok Sabha written reply, 13 Feb 2026 |
63,66,023 cases pending across India’s 25 High Courts, as on 31 December 2025, per the Lok Sabha reply of 13 February 2026.
That is roughly 63.66 lakh matters, the middle tier between the Supreme Court and the district courts. For the full tier-wise picture, see pendency of cases in India.
02The busiest High Courts
The same reply named the High Courts carrying the heaviest dockets as on 31 December 2025.
| High Court | Cases pending | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Allahabad High Court | 12,07,240 | Highest pendency of any High Court |
| Rajasthan High Court | 6,87,595 | Among the highest |
| Bombay High Court | 6,64,979 | Among the highest |
The Allahabad High Court, which serves Uttar Pradesh, carries by far the largest High Court docket, consistent with that state also leading district-court pendency. Read these counts alongside each court’s sanctioned judge strength rather than on their own, because a bigger court will naturally hold more cases.
A raw pending count is not a fair ranking of how “slow” a court is. A High Court that serves a large, populous state will sit near the top of any pendency table simply because it receives more work. To compare courts fairly, look at pendency next to sanctioned and working judge strength, the share of old cases in the case-age brackets, and the clearance rate, rather than the headline total alone. See how to read court pendency statistics.
03What drives High Court pendency
High Court pendency is shaped by the same forces as the rest of the system, with one extra layer. High Courts hear both original matters and appeals and revisions flowing up from the district courts, so pressure in the trial courts feeds into them over time.
Two drivers stand out. The first is judge vacancies: a large share of sanctioned High Court posts sits vacant, which limits disposal capacity. See judge vacancies and pendency. The second is case age, with a meaningful share of High Court matters pending for many years. See the oldest pending cases in India.
Whether the backlog grows or shrinks depends on the balance of institution and disposal, explained in institution versus disposal of cases.
04How to read the live number
The figure above is a dated snapshot. For the current count, read it from the official dashboard:
- Open the NJDG at njdg.ecourts.gov.in and choose the High Court view.
- Select a specific High Court to see its pending and disposed counts and case-age brackets, or read the all-India High Court total.
- Note the date shown, because the dashboard refreshes close to daily and will differ from the 31 December 2025 figure.
For the mechanics, see how to use the NJDG and what the NJDG is. To check a specific High Court case rather than the aggregate, use High Court case status search.
This figure changes
The 63,66,023 count is a dated snapshot. Confirm the current High Court figure on the live NJDG dashboard before you rely on it.
05Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
The High Court pendency figures here come only from the official sources named, the Lok Sabha reply and the NJDG. Claw does not produce aggregate statistics. Its job is the specific one: it lets you search and track a particular matter across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, including all 25 High Courts, sitting on 30 crore or more judgments with results in under 5 seconds, and it sends hearing and order alerts so your case is not lost inside a 63-lakh docket.
Create a free Claw account and run a case search across Indian courts.
06Sources
- National Judicial Data Grid (live High Court data): njdg.ecourts.gov.in
- Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice: doj.gov.in
- High Court figures as on 31 December 2025, Lok Sabha reply of 13 February 2026 (as reported): ianslive.in
Figures are dated snapshots and are revised over time.
07Frequently asked questions
How many cases are pending in Indian High Courts?
63,66,023 cases were pending across India’s 25 High Courts as on 31 December 2025, per a written reply by the Law Minister in the Lok Sabha on 13 February 2026, drawing on the National Judicial Data Grid. The figure was up 4.75% over the previous three years.
Which High Court has the most pending cases?
The Allahabad High Court, which serves Uttar Pradesh, had the highest pendency at 12,07,240 cases as on 31 December 2025, followed by the Rajasthan High Court (6,87,595) and the Bombay High Court (6,64,979).
How many High Courts are there in India?
There are 25 High Courts in India. Their pendency is counted together in the official figures, and the NJDG also lets you read each court separately.
How can I check the current High Court pendency?
Open the National Judicial Data Grid at njdg.ecourts.gov.in, choose the High Court view, and read the all-India total or a specific court. The dashboard refreshes close to daily, so note the date it shows, which will differ from the 31 December 2025 snapshot.
Does the busiest High Court mean the slowest?
No. A raw pending count mostly reflects how much work a court receives, which tracks the size and population of the state it serves. To judge speed, read pendency alongside sanctioned and working judge strength, the share of old cases in the case-age brackets, and the clearance rate, rather than the headline total on its own.