Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Design

Introduction

The Design industry’s Facebook Ads cost-per-lead ran extraordinarily high for most of the year across all countries, then collapsed in Q4 — a striking contrast to the steadier global benchmark. From a lofty peak in April to single-digit CPLs in October and November, the pattern is marked by sharp swings and an abrupt late-year trough. 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 Design across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across all countries, Design’s median CPL averaged about 268 over the past 12 months, starting at 213 in December 2024 and landing at 10.6 by November 2025 — a 95% decline from start to finish. The high arrived in April at 528, while the low hit in October at just 7.23. The spread between peak and trough reached 521 points, underscoring unusually wide dispersion.

Momentum was choppy. From December to April, CPLs surged from 213 to 528 (+148%), including a near-doubling into January (+98%) and continued lifts in March (+29%) and April (+15%). May broke the run with a −49% reset, and the summer softened further: July and August averaged around 146. September briefly re-accelerated to 291 (+108% vs. August), before the market dropped to single digits in October (−98% vs. September) and edged up modestly in November (+47% vs. October).

Volatility was acute. The average absolute month-to-month move was roughly 132 points — a level that dwarfs the global benchmark’s average monthly shift of about 3.1. In other words, Design CPLs moved more than forty times as much in absolute terms as the global series.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality skewed high in Q1 and early Q2, with January–April averaging about 442 — more than triple the July–August average (~146). After the May reset, summer stabilized at lower levels before a September bump, and then the series broke pattern with an extraordinary Q4 collapse. By contrast, global CPLs followed a familiar rhythm: a softer Q1 (around 36), steady firmness through summer (around 42), and a mild elevation into early Q4.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global benchmark, Design’s CPL across all countries sat far above market for most of the year. The average of 268 was roughly 6.6x higher than the global average of about 40.7 (+560%). The gap was widest in the spring: April’s 528 was about 14.3x the global 37.0. Even midyear, Design CPLs remained elevated: July and August came in 3.3x–3.8x above global levels.

The relationship flipped dramatically in Q4. In October and November, Design CPLs fell below the global benchmark for the only time in the year, running approximately 85% lower in October (7.23 vs. 48.4) and 77% lower in November (10.6 vs. 45.8). While the global trend climbed gradually from January to October (roughly +39%), the Design series was markedly more erratic, with sharp surges, resets, and a pronounced late-year trough.

Closing

Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks show extreme CPL volatility for the Design industry across all countries: a high-cost, high-variance first half; a softer summer; a brief September lift; and an unprecedented Q4 drop below global levels. Understanding cost-per-lead trends for Design across all countries helps advertisers evaluate country-specific ad costs, compare industry ad performance, and contextualize CPL movement against the global Facebook Ads benchmark.