Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks in France

Introduction

France’s cost per app install moved through 2025 with two distinct gears: calm, mid-teens pricing most months, and a dramatic Q2 surge that briefly pushed costs several times above normal. On annual average, France sat above the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, but that premium was concentrated in May–June. Volatility was notably higher than the global baseline, with standout spikes and a rare Q4 trough in November before a year-end rebound.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for all industries in France compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

France began the year at 11.49 and closed at 11.97, a modest 4% lift end to end. Across the year, the median cost per app install (CPI) averaged 16.62, ranging from a low of 3.08 in November to a high of 63.89 in May. Most months clustered between 7 and 13, but May spiked to 63.89—about 7x April’s 8.75—before receding to 33.32 in June (−48% month over month). After midyear, the market stabilized: July and August held near 12–13, September dipped to 7.13, and October returned to 13.05. November delivered the sharpest drop of the year (3.08, −76% vs. October), followed by a strong December rebound to 11.97 (+289% vs. November).

Volatility in France averaged about 15.0 points in absolute month-to-month moves, more than triple the global benchmark’s 4.5-point average swing. In other words, France’s CPI pattern was far choppier than the broader market. Notably, excluding the May outlier, France’s average would have been approximately 11.9—below the global mean—underscoring how concentrated the premium was in Q2.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Early 2025 was soft: January–February averaged roughly 8.2 in France (with February the year’s second-lowest month at 4.80). The year’s defining event arrived in Q2, when CPI surged to 63.89 in May and remained elevated in June at 33.32. Q3 normalized, hovering around 10–13 with a brief September dip. Q4 was uneven: a typical October level (13.05), an atypically low November (3.08), and a December recovery to 11.97.

By quarter, the rhythm is clear:

• Q1 (Jan–Feb only, March missing): ~8.2 in France versus ~9.2 globally.
• Q2: France averaged ~35.3, more than double the global ~16.5.
• Q3: France ~10.8 versus global ~14.2.
• Q4: France ~9.4 versus global ~13.8.

Historically, performance often softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1. In 2025, France diverged from that typical arc with an unusually low November and a quick rebound into December.

Country vs. Global

Globally, CPI averaged about 13.43 in 2025, with a midyear high in June (23.76) and a low in January (7.10). France’s annual average of 16.62 ran ~24% above that level, but the gap hinged on Q2. Month by month, France was above market in 5 of 11 observed months (notably May at +418% vs. global) and below market in the rest (November −79% vs. global marked the widest underperformance). The narrowest gap appeared in July, when France sat about 12% above the global benchmark. Overall, the global trend was steadier with one midyear lift, while France’s path was more volatile, punctuated by a Q2 surge and a deep November trough.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install across all industries in France highlights a year defined by an outsized Q2 surge, softer Q3–Q4 levels, and greater volatility than the global baseline. For teams tracking country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance, this CPI analysis for France provides a clear read on 2025 dynamics relative to worldwide patterns.