Two public databases record how antitrust law is actually enforced in the United States, and they tell opposite stories. The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division publishes an index of its case filings going back to 1899. The National Association of Attorneys General maintains a database of multistate settlements reached by state attorneys general since 1983. Neither offers a download, an API, or a chart.
We pulled both in full — 2,466 DOJ filings and 764 multistate settlements totalling $287.1 billion — and put them side by side. The headline finding is a divergence: federal criminal antitrust enforcement has fallen sharply in volume, while the dollar value of state-led settlements has grown by roughly seventy-five times at the median. Where a matter is brought, and by whom, has changed as much as how often.
Everything below is interactive. Hover any chart for the underlying numbers, and use the table view beneath each one to read the figures directly. We update this page periodically; the retrieval date and full caveats are noted at the foot.
The dashboard data could not be loaded. Both source databases are linked in the notes below.
$287B
recovered across 764 multistate settlements led by state attorneys general, 1983 – 2026.
Federal enforcement over time
DOJ filings by case type. Criminal prosecutions built through the 1990s, peaked at 84 filings in 2011, and have run in the teens every year since 2017. Merger challenges never recovered their 1970s volume.
DOJ Antitrust Division filings per year
Stacked by case type. Hover any year for the full breakdown.
Scroll the chart sideways to see the full range.
The price of a settlement keeps climbing
Multistate settlements have not become much more frequent — but the typical one is now roughly seventy-five times the size it was in the 1990s. The median is the honest measure here: a handful of opioid and mortgage settlements distort every average.
Median multistate settlement, by decade
Median of settlements reporting a dollar amount. 2020s covers 2020–2026.
Scroll the chart sideways to see the full range.
Total settlement dollars per year
2022 alone accounts for $69.9B — largely the national opioid settlement.
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Antitrust is a fifth of the cases and a thirtieth of the money
Consumer protection dominates multistate recoveries in dollar terms. Antitrust matters are far more numerous than their dollar share suggests — they are smaller, more frequent, and more often about conduct than about restitution.
Share of settlements vs share of dollars
By issue area, 1983–2026.
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How many attorneys general join
Most multistate actions are small coalitions; the blockbusters are near-universal.
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The largest recoveries on record
Twenty settlements account for well over half of the $287B total. Pharmaceutical distribution and mortgage-era banking are the two recurring themes.
Top 20 multistate settlements by total amount
Bar colour marks the issue area. Values in billions.
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Where cases land, and who brings them
Federal antitrust litigation concentrates in a handful of courts. On the state side, a small group of attorneys general lead a disproportionate share of multistate actions.
Federal courts by DOJ antitrust filings
Top 12 of 109 courts on record.
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States that most often lead a multistate action
Counts a state once per settlement it is listed as leading; 521 settlements name a lead state.
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Which industries draw enforcement
The two datasets point at different economies. DOJ industry codes cluster in real estate brokerage, auto parts and freight — classic cartel territory. State settlements cluster in pharmaceuticals and finance, where consumer harm is measured in restitution.
DOJ filings by industry code
Top 12 assigned codes. 200 filings carry no code.
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Multistate settlement dollars by industry
Top 10 industry types, in billions.
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What the Division has filed lately
Every DOJ Antitrust Division filing on record since January 2025.
Data retrieved 9 August 2026 from the DOJ Antitrust Division case filings index (2,466 of 2,468 listed cases) and the NAAG Multistate Settlements Database (764 settlements). Both sources are indexes of selected matters, not complete dockets; NAAG notes its database “may not include every multistate matter to date.” Settlement amounts are as reported and are not inflation-adjusted. Nothing on this page is legal or financial advice.
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