Data Reference
Lobbying Statistics 2024–2025: Key Facts and Data
Comprehensive federal lobbying statistics compiled from our database of 650,000+ Senate LDA filings covering 2018–2025. Updated regularly as new filings are published.
Overall Statistics (2018–2025)
$15.2B
Total Lobbying Spending
650,333
Total Filings
29,754
Unique Lobbyists
5,000+
Revolving Door Officials
79
Issue Categories
1,591
Top Clients Tracked
Spending by Year
| Year | Total Spending | Filings | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1.40B | 66,516 | — |
| 2019 | $1.47B | 68,815 | +5.0% |
| 2020 | $1.62B | 75,360 | +10.2% |
| 2021 | $1.76B | 78,650 | +8.6% |
| 2022 | $2.05B | 88,232 | +16.5% |
| 2023 | $2.24B | 95,236 | +9.3% |
| 2024 | $1.98B | 82,249 | -11.6% |
Top Lobbying Issues by Total Spending
| Issue | Total Spending | Filings | Clients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget/Appropriations (BUD) | $2.63B | 118,907 | 10,957 |
| Healthcare (HCR) | $2.30B | 86,616 | 7,329 |
| Taxes (TAX) | $1.8B+ | 70,000+ | 6,000+ |
| Trade (TRD) | $1.5B+ | 55,000+ | 5,000+ |
| Defense (DEF) | $1.4B+ | 50,000+ | 4,500+ |
Key Trends
- Lobbying hit a record $2.24B in 2023 — the highest single-year total in our dataset, driven by healthcare, defense, and AI regulation
- 2024 saw a slight dip to $1.98B — election year dynamics shifted some spending to political campaigns
- The revolving door is accelerating — over 5,000 former government officials are currently registered lobbyists
- AI lobbying exploded 400%+ — AI-related mentions in lobbying filings surged since 2022
- Crypto became a lobbying force — from near-zero to millions in annual lobbying spend
- Tariff lobbying surged 561% — trade policy uncertainty drove a massive increase in 2024-2025
Notable Data Points
- 49,536:1 — The highest lobbying ROI we found: $270K in lobbying → $13.4B in federal contracts
- 369% — The premium that firms with revolving-door lobbyists charge over those without
- $27,105 — Washington DC's per-capita lobbying spending, dwarfing every state
- 4,627 — Number of clients whose lobbying spending grew 100%+ during our tracking period
- 10,957 — Unique clients who lobbied on Budget/Appropriations, the most-lobbied issue
Data Sources & Methodology
All statistics are derived from Senate LDA (Lobbying Disclosure Act) filings accessed through the Senate Office of Public Records. Our database covers 2018–2025 and is updated regularly as new quarterly filings are published. For full methodology details, see our methodology page.