See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The main story: cost-per-lead (CPL) for All industries in All countries tracked the global benchmark almost perfectly, showing a pronounced winter peak and a steep summer decline. 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 All countries compared to the global benchmark.
Across the 13-month window, CPL started at $42.79 in July 2025 and finished at $20.82 in July 2026 — a drop of roughly 51% from start to finish. The yearly average CPL was about $44.10. The highest median cost-per-lead occurred in February 2026 at $53.22; the low point was July 2026 at $20.82, a 61% decline from the February peak.
Month-to-month movement was notable: early uplift from $42.79 in July to $48.20 by September, a plateau through October–November in the high $40s, a December dip to $45.18, then a rebound into January ($48.97) and a peak in February ($53.22). After February the series turned choppier: March eased to $50.64, April dropped sharply to $41.44, May recovered to $45.13, June fell to $37.07 and July landed at the year’s low of $20.82.
Volatility measured as average absolute monthly change was about $4.69 — roughly an 11% swing relative to the mean CPL. That describes a market with meaningful month-to-month movement rather than a flat line.
The rhythm is clear: late summer into fall showed stability and a modest rise (July–October), followed by a small year-end softening in December and a Q1 rebound that peaked in late winter (February). Spring produced alternating declines and recoveries with two sharp pullbacks — April and June — and a dramatic slide into midsummer. In short, higher CPLs clustered around late Q4 and Q1, while the lowest CPLs appeared in midsummer.
These patterns align with broader seasonal expectations in digital advertising calendars: elevated competition and spend in late-year/early-year windows, then easing as the year progresses toward mid-summer. The July 2026 trough stands out as an unusually steep decline relative to earlier months.
Because the selected series for All industries in All countries matches the baseline exactly, the selected market is effectively at parity with the global benchmark across every reported month. Relative phrasing: the selected market was neither above market nor below average versus the benchmark — it mirrored global CPLs. Volatility, highs, lows and monthly dynamics were identical to the baseline, so comparisons show no divergence in CPL behavior for All industries in All countries.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-lead benchmarks for All industries in All countries provides a clear view of CPL seasonality and volatility alongside complementary CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance within global advertising benchmarks.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.
Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.
Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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