Data Reference · Updated February 2026
Lobbying Statistics 2026: $6B+ and Counting
Federal lobbying spending surpassed $6 billion in 2025 — the highest single-year total in modern history. With 23,545 registered lobbyists, 37,994 clients, and 726,268 filings on record, lobbying remains one of the most powerful forces in American politics.
Key Statistics (2018-2025)
Year-over-Year Lobbying Spending
Lobbying spending has grown consistently since 2018. The 16.8% jump from 2024 to 2025 represents the largest year-over-year increase in our dataset, driven by record spending on healthcare, defense, and technology issues.
| Year | Total Spending | Filings | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $4.0B | 78,416 | — |
| 2019 | $4.1B | 80,040 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | $4.1B | 84,085 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | $4.4B | 90,760 | +7.3% |
| 2022 | $5.0B | 93,482 | +12.7% |
| 2023 | $5.0B | 95,236 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | $5.2B | 96,649 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $6.0B | 107,600 | +16.8% |
Source: Senate LDA filings via OpenLobby. Data covers 2018-2025.
Spending Trend
Key Insights for 2026
Record-Breaking 2025
2025 saw $6.0B in lobbying income — a 16.8% increase over 2024. This was driven by tariff battles, AI regulation, and healthcare reform debates.
Lobbyist Workforce
23,545 unique lobbyists filed disclosures, with ~5,000 having prior government experience (the "revolving door").
37,994 Clients
Nearly 38,000 unique organizations have hired lobbyists since 2018, from Fortune 500 corporations to small nonprofits and foreign governments.
79 Issue Areas
Lobbying spans 79 distinct issue categories, from healthcare and defense to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is spent on lobbying in the US?
From 2018 to 2025, a total of $37.7B was reported in federal lobbying income across 726,268 Senate LDA filings. In 2025 alone, spending reached $6.0B.
How many lobbyists are there in Washington?
There are 23,545 unique lobbyists registered in Senate LDA filings, working across 7,757 lobbying firms.
Is lobbying spending increasing?
Yes. Spending has grown every year since 2018, with the largest jump (16.8%) occurring from 2024 to 2025.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) filings, which are publicly available. OpenLobby aggregates, cleans, and analyzes these filings to make them accessible.