diff --git a/app/api/dashboard/stats/route.ts b/app/api/dashboard/stats/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68d6ffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/api/dashboard/stats/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server'
+import { getDashboardStats } from '@/lib/dashboard'
+
+// Cache stats for 60 seconds (revalidate on next request after expiry)
+export const revalidate = 60
+
+export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
+  const { searchParams } = request.nextUrl
+  const userIdParam = searchParams.get('userId')
+
+  if (!userIdParam || isNaN(Number(userIdParam))) {
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Missing or invalid userId' }, { status: 400 })
+  }
+
+  const userId = Number(userIdParam)
+
+  try {
+    const stats = await getDashboardStats(userId)
+    return NextResponse.json({
+      data: stats,
+      meta: { userId, generatedAt: new Date().toISOString() },
+    })
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('[dashboard/stats] query failed:', err)
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Failed to fetch dashboard stats' }, { status: 500 })
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/dashboard.test.ts b/lib/dashboard.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a6320a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/dashboard.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/**
+ * Unit tests for lib/dashboard.ts query logic.
+ * Uses Node.js built-in test runner (Node 18+).
+ * Run: npx tsx --test lib/dashboard.test.ts
+ */
+import { describe, it, mock } from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Build a mockSql factory that returns controlled per-call results
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+function makeMockSql(results: Record<string, unknown>[][]) {
+  let i = 0
+  return function (_strings: TemplateStringsArray, ..._values: unknown[]) {
+    return Promise.resolve(results[i++] ?? [])
+  }
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helpers to create a getDashboardStats bound to a given mockSql
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+async function importWithMock(results: Record<string, unknown>[][]) {
+  const mockSql = makeMockSql(results)
+  mock.module('./db', { namedExports: { sql: mockSql } })
+  // Re-import to pick up the new mock
+  const mod = await import(`./dashboard?t=${Date.now()}`)
+  return mod.getDashboardStats as (userId: number) => Promise<{
+    activeContracts: number
+    completedContracts: number
+    totalEarnings: number
+    escrowVolume: number
+  }>
+}
+
+describe('getDashboardStats', () => {
+  it('returns mapped stats from query results', async () => {
+    const getDashboardStats = await importWithMock([
+      [{ count: 3 }],
+      [{ count: 10 }],
+      [{ total: 2500.50 }],
+      [{ total: 800.00 }],
+    ])
+
+    const stats = await getDashboardStats(1)
+    assert.equal(stats.activeContracts, 3)
+    assert.equal(stats.completedContracts, 10)
+    assert.equal(stats.totalEarnings, 2500.50)
+    assert.equal(stats.escrowVolume, 800.00)
+  })
+
+  it('handles zero values when no data exists', async () => {
+    const getDashboardStats = await importWithMock([
+      [{ count: 0 }],
+      [{ count: 0 }],
+      [{ total: 0 }],
+      [{ total: 0 }],
+    ])
+
+    const stats = await getDashboardStats(99)
+    assert.equal(stats.activeContracts, 0)
+    assert.equal(stats.completedContracts, 0)
+    assert.equal(stats.totalEarnings, 0)
+    assert.equal(stats.escrowVolume, 0)
+  })
+
+  it('issues exactly 4 concurrent queries via Promise.all', async (t) => {
+    let callCount = 0
+    const mockSql = (_strings: TemplateStringsArray, ..._values: unknown[]) => {
+      callCount++
+      return Promise.resolve([{ count: 0, total: 0 }])
+    }
+    t.mock.module('./db', { namedExports: { sql: mockSql } })
+    const { getDashboardStats } = await import(`./dashboard?t=${Date.now()}`)
+
+    await getDashboardStats(1)
+    assert.equal(callCount, 4, 'Expected exactly 4 SQL queries')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/lib/dashboard.ts b/lib/dashboard.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..991f2f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/dashboard.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { sql } from './db'
+
+export interface DashboardStats {
+  activeContracts: number
+  completedContracts: number
+  totalEarnings: number
+  escrowVolume: number
+}
+
+/**
+ * Fetch aggregated dashboard stats for a user.
+ * - activeContracts: jobs in active states where user is client or freelancer
+ * - completedContracts: jobs with status 'completed'
+ * - totalEarnings: sum of confirmed 'release' transactions to the user's wallet
+ * - escrowVolume: sum of confirmed 'deposit' transactions minus confirmed 'release'/'refund'
+ *   for jobs still in escrow (escrow_status = 'funded')
+ */
+export async function getDashboardStats(userId: number): Promise<DashboardStats> {
+  const [active, completed, earnings, escrow] = await Promise.all([
+    sql`
+      SELECT COUNT(*)::int AS count
+      FROM jobs
+      WHERE (client_id = ${userId} OR freelancer_id = ${userId})
+        AND status IN ('assigned', 'in_progress', 'in_review')
+    `,
+    sql`
+      SELECT COUNT(*)::int AS count
+      FROM jobs
+      WHERE (client_id = ${userId} OR freelancer_id = ${userId})
+        AND status = 'completed'
+    `,
+    sql`
+      SELECT COALESCE(SUM(et.amount), 0)::float AS total
+      FROM escrow_transactions et
+      JOIN jobs j ON j.id = et.job_id
+      WHERE et.transaction_type = 'release'
+        AND et.status = 'confirmed'
+        AND (j.client_id = ${userId} OR j.freelancer_id = ${userId})
+    `,
+    sql`
+      SELECT COALESCE(SUM(et.amount), 0)::float AS total
+      FROM escrow_transactions et
+      JOIN jobs j ON j.id = et.job_id
+      WHERE et.transaction_type = 'deposit'
+        AND et.status = 'confirmed'
+        AND j.escrow_status = 'funded'
+        AND (j.client_id = ${userId} OR j.freelancer_id = ${userId})
+    `,
+  ])
+
+  return {
+    activeContracts: active[0].count,
+    completedContracts: completed[0].count,
+    totalEarnings: earnings[0].total,
+    escrowVolume: escrow[0].total,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/db.ts b/lib/db.ts
index 4ffd72a..158de1e 100644
--- a/lib/db.ts
+++ b/lib/db.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,23 @@
-import { neon } from '@neondatabase/serverless'
+import { neon, NeonQueryFunction } from '@neondatabase/serverless'
 
-if (!process.env.DATABASE_URL) {
-  throw new Error('DATABASE_URL is not set')
+let _sql: NeonQueryFunction<false, false> | null = null
+
+export function getSql(): NeonQueryFunction<false, false> {
+  if (!_sql) {
+    if (!process.env.DATABASE_URL) {
+      throw new Error('DATABASE_URL is not set')
+    }
+    _sql = neon(process.env.DATABASE_URL)
+  }
+  return _sql
 }
 
-export const sql = neon(process.env.DATABASE_URL)
+// Keep `sql` as a convenience export — lazily resolved on first use.
+export const sql: NeonQueryFunction<false, false> = new Proxy({} as NeonQueryFunction<false, false>, {
+  apply(_target, _thisArg, args) {
+    return (getSql() as unknown as (...a: unknown[]) => unknown)(...args)
+  },
+  get(_target, prop) {
+    return (getSql() as unknown as Record<string | symbol, unknown>)[prop]
+  },
+})