Data · District Courts
How Many Cases Are Pending in India’s District Courts (2026)
As on 31 December 2025, 4,76,57,328 cases were pending in India’s district and subordinate 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 was up 5.84% over the previous three years. These trial courts carry about 88% of all pending cases in the country. This page gives the total, the leading states, and how to check the live number. Last verified October 2026.
- Pending in district and subordinate courts: 4,76,57,328 cases, as on 31 December 2025.
- Share of total: about 88% of all pending cases in India (our calculation against the ~5.41 crore all-tier total).
- Trend: up 5.84% over three years.
- Highest state: Uttar Pradesh with 1,13,45,328 pending.
- Source: Lok Sabha written reply by the Law Minister, 13 February 2026, drawing on the NJDG.
01The number, dated and sourced
District and subordinate courts are the trial courts, and they hold the overwhelming majority of India’s pending cases.
| Metric | Value | As on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases pending in district and subordinate courts | 4,76,57,328 | 31 December 2025 | Lok Sabha written reply, 13 Feb 2026 |
| Change over three years | up 5.84% | 31 December 2025 | Lok Sabha written reply, 13 Feb 2026 |
| Approximate share of all pending cases | about 88% | 31 December 2025 | Our calculation against the all-tier total |
The 88% share is our own calculation: 4,76,57,328 district-court cases against an all-tier total of about 5.41 crore (the sum of the three official tier figures). We show the arithmetic so the claim is checkable.
4,76,57,328 cases pending in India’s district and subordinate courts, as on 31 December 2025, about 88% of the national total.
02The states carrying the load
The same Lok Sabha reply gave a state-wise split for the district and subordinate courts as on 31 December 2025.
| State | Cases pending (district and subordinate courts) |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 1,13,45,328 |
| Maharashtra | 59,26,999 |
| West Bengal | 38,35,113 |
Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for over 1.13 crore pending cases at the trial level, by far the largest of any state. These are the figures named in the reply. Read them next to each state’s population and its sanctioned and working judge strength rather than in isolation, because a larger and more populous state will naturally file and hold more cases.
03Why the district courts dominate
Almost every case in India starts in a district or subordinate court, so it is no surprise that this tier holds roughly nine in ten pending matters. Criminal trials, civil suits, cheque-bounce cases, matrimonial and maintenance matters, motor accident claims and more are first heard here.
Two pressures keep the number high. The first is a large vacancy rate in the subordinate judiciary, which limits how many cases can be decided. See judge vacancies and pendency. The second is the balance of new filings against disposals, explained in institution versus disposal of cases.
Because this tier dominates the national total, any serious reduction in India’s backlog has to happen mainly in the district courts. For the overall picture, see pendency of cases in India.
04How to read the live number
The figure above is a dated snapshot. For the current count:
- Open the NJDG at njdg.ecourts.gov.in and choose the district court view.
- Drill down by state, district or establishment to see pending and disposed counts and case-age brackets.
- Note the date shown, because the dashboard refreshes close to daily and will differ from the 31 December 2025 figure.
District courts were the first tier onboarded to the NJDG, so their data is the deepest. For the mechanics, see how to use the NJDG. To check one specific case rather than the aggregate, use district court case search.
This figure changes
The 4,76,57,328 count is a dated snapshot. Confirm the current district-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 district-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 district and subordinate courts nationwide, 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 pile of nearly 4.77 crore.
Create a free Claw account and run a case search across Indian courts.
06Sources
- National Judicial Data Grid (live district court data): njdg.ecourts.gov.in
- Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice: doj.gov.in
- District 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 India’s district courts?
4,76,57,328 cases were pending in district and subordinate 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 5.84% over the previous three years.
What share of all pending cases is in the district courts?
About 88%. The 4,76,57,328 district-court cases are set against an all-tier total of roughly 5.41 crore (the sum of the three official tier figures). India’s pendency is overwhelmingly a trial-court issue.
Which state has the most pending district-court cases?
Uttar Pradesh, with 1,13,45,328 pending cases as on 31 December 2025, followed by Maharashtra (59,26,999) and West Bengal (38,35,113). Read these next to each state’s population and judge strength.
How can I check the current district-court pendency?
Open the National Judicial Data Grid at njdg.ecourts.gov.in, choose the district court view, and drill down by state, district or establishment. The dashboard refreshes close to daily, so note the date it shows, which will differ from the 31 December 2025 snapshot.