Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks in Germany

Introduction

Germany’s app install costs moved on a very different track from the global benchmark: generally low and stable through most months, punctuated by a single, extreme surge in May 2025. Outside of that spike, Germany’s costs sat well below the global median, with a soft Q4 and a sharp reset at the start of 2026. 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 Germany compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Germany started 2025 with a median cost per app install of 2.88 and ended January 2026 at 0.56, an 81% decline from the starting point. The standout high was May 2025 at 164.20, more than 13 times the global median that month. Beyond May, the next highest point came in June (12.38) before costs reset into a narrower 2–6 range: July (2.90), August (3.42), September (3.95), and a brief trough in October–November (1.87 and 1.62). December rebounded to 5.92 before the January 2026 low of 0.56.

Averages underline the distortion. Including May, Germany’s 13‑month average lands at 16.43; excluding May’s outlier, the typical run rate is 4.12. Monthly volatility tells a similar story: average absolute month‑to‑month movement was 28.09 points across the year, but just 2.71 when excluding the May surge and unwind—showing a generally steady market with one exceptional deviation.

Globally, median costs averaged 13.58 across the same period, with a low of 7.10 in January 2025 and a high of 23.76 in June. From January 2025 to January 2026, the global level roughly doubled to 15.39, while Germany trended down to its period low.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Germany’s rhythm without the May event shows a measured lift through early spring (2.16 in February to 6.02 in April), a moderate June, and then a steady summer settling around the mid‑3s (Q3 average: 3.42). Q4 softened further (October–November averaged 1.74), before a December bounce (5.92) and an unusually soft January 2026 (0.56). Globally, performance typically elevates into mid‑year, peaking in June, and remains comparatively firm through Q4, with some relief in December.

Germany vs. Global

Germany sat below market in most months by wide margins—typically 40–90% under the global benchmark. The gap was narrowest in March 2025 (36% below at 5.74 vs. 8.92 globally) and widest in January 2026 (96% below at 0.56 vs. 15.39). May 2025 was the exception: Germany’s cost per app install spiked to 164.20, over 13x the global level of 12.32. On average, Germany’s “typical” level (4.12 excluding May) trailed the global 13.58 median, and its regular month‑to‑month volatility (2.71) was lower than the global pace (4.50), aside from the May shock.

Closing

In short, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install across all industries in Germany point to a consistently below‑market cost profile with one anomalous surge in May 2025, softer levels through Q4, and a low start to 2026. Understanding cost‑per‑install patterns within country‑specific ad costs—alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance—helps compare industry ad performance in Germany against global norms.