The image decoding method includes: determining a context for use in a current block, from among a plurality of contexts (S204); and performing arithmetic decoding on a bit sequence corresponding to the current block, using the determined context (S210), wherein in the determining (S204): the context is determined under a condition that control parameters of neighboring blocks of the current block are used, when the signal type is a first type, the neighboring blocks being a left block and an upper block of the current block (S206); and the context is determined under a condition that the control parameter of the upper block is not used, when the signal type is a second type (S207), and the second type is "inter_pred_flag".