Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Public Safety

Introduction

The cost per app install (CPI) story in 2025 has been defined by an early-year trough, a sharp mid-year spike, and a late-year cool-down. Globally, CPI began the year low, surged dramatically into June, then settled into a mid‑teens plateau before easing in December. The pattern suggests a market that was both seasonal and jumpy, with a few standout months moving the median far from its average. 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 Public Safety in all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across all industries worldwide, 2025’s median CPI averaged $13.37. It started at $7.07 in January and ended at $9.32 in December—about 32% higher than January but roughly 30% below the annual mean. The year’s high arrived in June at $23.76, more than triple January’s level and about 78% above the yearly average. The low was January at $7.07.

Month-to-month movement was brisk. February jumped 64% versus January, before retreating in March. April rebounded (+52% from March), May softened (−9%), and then June spiked a striking 93% versus May. July corrected sharply (−55% from June), August climbed again (+48%), and September–October edged up modestly (+1% and +2%). The year closed with an −11% step down in November and a −36% drop into December.

On average, the absolute monthly swing was $4.57—about one‑third (34%) of the annual mean—underscoring a notably choppy CPI environment. Six months landed above the $13.37 average (April, June, August, September, October, November), clustering around mid‑year and early Q4.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, CPI was soft in Q1 (average $9.21), surged in Q2 (average $16.53) with the June peak, held elevated but steadier in Q3 (average $14.31), and mixed in Q4 (average $13.44), with an October–November mid‑teens plateau giving way to a December pullback. The late-summer to mid‑autumn stretch stabilized: August, September, and October hovered around $16.2, with minimal month-to-month drift (+$0.17, then +$0.27). Five months priced below $12—concentrated in Q1 and year‑end—bookend the year’s costliest period in late Q2.

This rhythm aligns with a common pattern in Facebook Ads benchmarks: mid‑year intensity, intermittent autumn firmness, and softer endpoints. While CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance can influence CPI indirectly, the CPI curve here stands out for its pronounced June peak and December easing.

Country vs. Global

The selected view is Public Safety across all countries, but the segment’s monthly series was not present in this extract. As a result, the all‑industry global CPI serves as the operative benchmark rather than a direct category comparison. In practical terms, the Public Safety industry would be assessed against this global curve—marked by a Q2 crest, a mid‑teens late‑summer plateau, and a year‑end cooldown—with an average monthly volatility of about $4.57. When category-specific medians are available, the gap to global can be quantified month by month, especially around inflection points like June’s spike and December’s trough.

Closing

In sum, 2025’s Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install show a global CPI that bottomed in January, peaked in June, and eased into December, averaging $13.37 with sizable month‑to‑month swings. Understanding cost per app install benchmarks for the Public Safety industry across all countries helps marketers frame country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance against global patterns.