In 2023, over 12,000 different lobbyists in the U.S. spent a a record $4.3 billion on lobbying activities, according to Open Secrets, a non-profit research group tracking money in U.S. politics. This was up from $4.1 billion in 2022—and the highest annual total so far.

Organizations either hire lobbying firms or employ in-house lobbyists to meet with government officials, seeking to influence government decision-making.

In the following chart, Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu shows the total expenditures on lobbying activities by the top 10 industries that invested the most in lobbying the U.S. Congress and federal agencies in 2023, using data from Open Secrets.

Which Industries Spent the Most On Lobbying?

The Pharmaceuticals and Health Products industry was the biggest industry spender in the U.S. in 2023, investing a total of $382.6 million towards lobbying.

The two biggest spenders in the pharmaceuticals industry were the industry's leading lobby group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and pharmacy benefit managers association Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

In 2023, multiple bills were introduced that would mandate pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), the intermediaries who negotiate prescription drug prices with manufacturers on behalf of clients, to disclose their business practices, including the fees they earn from transactions.

These bills were introduced in response to investigations that PBMs play a significant role in driving up prescription drug costs.

Other big spenders in the industry include major pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Amgen, and Roche Holdings, who all spent over $11 million on lobbying last year.