This bar graph captures the number of contributors to all regulated federal political entities and the total dollar amounts contributed from 2000 to 2014 by five contribution ranges.
The contributors and contribution dollars in this graph are the total for regulated federal political entities from 2000 to 2014. Because EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants were not part of the regulatory regime from 2000 to 2003, contributions and contributors from 2000 to 2003 are for registered parties and candidates only. After 2003, regulated federal political entities were registered parties, candidates, EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants. The data for both the number of contributors and contribution dollars are captured in five contribution ranges: $200 or less, $201 to $500, $501 to $750, $751 to $1,200 and greater than $1,200.
Contribution amounts in millions and the number of contributors per year from 2000 to 2014 are:
In 2000:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $22.1, number of contributors 446,295
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $13.6, number of contributors 40,286
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $3.5, number of contributors 5,660
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $8.2, number of contributors 8,261
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $47.7, number of contributors 7,703
In 2001:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $6.5, number of contributors 108,612
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $3.5, number of contributors 10,878
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $1.1, number of contributors 1,842
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $2.2, number of contributors 2,257
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $19.7, number of contributors 2,577
In 2002:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $7.8, number of contributors 149,604
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $4.8, number of contributors 14,793
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $1.4, number of contributors 2,219
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $2.6, number of contributors 2,661
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $15.4, number of contributors 2,450
In 2003:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $9.2, number of contributors 160,760
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $5.2, number of contributors 15,864
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $1.8, number of contributors 2,930
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $4.9, number of contributors 4,982
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $33.0, number of contributors 3,699
In 2004:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $19.4, number of contributors 271,178
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $17.7, number of contributors 49,593
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $2.7, number of contributors 4,261
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $10.0, number of contributors 10,174
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $8.7, number of contributors 3,310
In 2005:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $16.9, number of contributors 229,114
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $13.8, number of contributors 40,182
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $3.6, number of contributors 5,763
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $6.9, number of contributors 7,112
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $8.1, number of contributors 3,090
In 2006:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $21.8, number of contributors 265,831
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $20.5, number of contributors 57,402
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $3.3, number of contributors 5,268
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $14.2, number of contributors 14,728
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $13.2, number of contributors 4,692
In 2007:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $16.7, number of contributors 211,670
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $12.3, number of contributors 35,988
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $2.6, number of contributors 4,190
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $8.2, number of contributors 8,224
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.2, number of contributors 76
In 2008:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $23.1, number of contributors 288,436
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $22.4, number of contributors 62,691
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $5.3, number of contributors 8,711
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $16.2, number of contributors 16,008
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.4, number of contributors 186
In 2009:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $17.4, number of contributors 224,851
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $14.3, number of contributors 41,522
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $3.5, number of contributors 5,661
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $12.3, number of contributors 12,184
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.2, number of contributors 100
In 2010:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $16.3, number of contributors 211,445
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $14.3, number of contributors 41,421
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $3.0, number of contributors 4,951
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $10.5, number of contributors 10,300
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.4, number of contributors 85
In 2011:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $23.4, number of contributors 278,292
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $23.4, number of contributors 66,028
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $6.0, number of contributors 9,730
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $18.1, number of contributors 17,576
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.4, number of contributors 181
In 2012:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $17.3, number of contributors 231,002
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $14.9, number of contributors 43,505
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $4.0, number of contributors 6,408
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $11.4, number of contributors 10,553
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $0.7, number of contributors 207
In 2013:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $17.2, number of contributors 236,274
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $15.5, number of contributors 45,305
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $4.7, number of contributors 7,563
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $14.0, number of contributors 12,813
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $1.0, number of contributors 200
In 2014:
$0 to $200 – amount of contributions $19.5, number of contributors 275,131
$201 to $500 – amount of contributions $18.7, number of contributors 53,764
$501 to $750 – amount of contributions $5.4, number of contributors 8,611
$751 to $1,200 – amount of contributions $19.1, number of contributors 17,564
Greater than $1,200 – amount of contributions $2.0, number of contributors 487
The data shows that, from 2000 to 2003, 87% of all contributors gave $200 or less, 8% gave from $201 and $500, and 5% gave more than $500. In this time frame, 54% of the dollars received were from contributors who gave more than $1,200, while only 21% of the dollars received were from contributors who gave $200 or less.
From 2004 to 2006, after Bill C-24 came into force but before the introduction of Bill C-2, 79% of all contributors gave $200 or less, 15% gave from $201 to $500, while 6% gave more than $500. In terms of dollar amounts given, 32% of the contributions were from contributors who gave $200 or less, 29% from contributors who gave from $201 to $500, 5% from contributors who gave $501 to $750, and 17% from contributors who gave $751 to $1,200 and more than $1,200.
After the passage of Bill C-2, from 2007 to 2014; 78% of all contributors gave $200 or less, followed by 16% who gave from $201 to $500, and only 6% who gave more than $500. The dollar distribution also changed from the 2004 to 2006 time frame; the biggest change was in contribution dollars greater than $1,200, which went from 17% to 1% of the total.
On the bottom of the graph there are the following notes:
Bill C-24: Amendments to the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act. Introduced publicly-funded quarterly allowances and contribution limits, brought EDAs, nomination and leadership contests into the regulatory system, increased reimbursements of paid regulatory system, increased reimbursements of paid election expenses and political contribution tax credits.
Bill C-2: The Federal Accountability Act. This legislation further reduced contribution limits and restricted eligibility to individuals only.
As well, at the bottom of the graph is the following footnote:
From 2000 to 2003, EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants were not part of the regulatory regime. As such, their contributions were unknown. Contributions from 2000 to 2003 are for registered parties and candidates only. After 2003, contributions are for registered parties, candidates, EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants.