See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Marketing & Advertising lead costs moved through a year of contrasts: early stability, a midsummer spike, and a sharp late-year slide that broke from the broader market. Across all countries, median Cost Per Lead (CPL) for the category averaged $33.66 over the period, about 18% below the $40.99 global, all‑industry benchmark. Volatility was pronounced, with a July high and a dramatic reset in December and January 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 Marketing & Advertising across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
The period opened at $33.88 in January 2025 and ended at $5.67 in January 2026, an 83% decline end to end. The year’s high landed in July at $52.56, while the low arrived in January 2026 at $5.67. The full‑period average was $33.66, with a wide range of nearly $47 from peak to trough.
Momentum shifted in distinct phases:
Volatility averaged $7.29 in absolute monthly moves—more than double the global benchmark’s $3.52—signaling sharper swings than the market.
Seasonally, the category exhibited a three‑act rhythm:
This is atypical versus a common platform pattern where costs often intensify through Q4; here, the category’s CPL compressed materially into year‑end and further into January 2026.
Relative to the global, all‑industry benchmark, Marketing & Advertising across all countries toggled between brief periods above market and an extended stretch below:
On average, the category sat about 18% below the global CPL. The benchmark itself climbed steadily into Q4—rising roughly 39% from January to October 2025 and peaking at $48.83—while the Marketing & Advertising series decoupled after summer, ultimately falling from a $52.56 high in July to $5.67 in January 2026 (−89% peak to trough). The global benchmark’s narrower range ($33.43 to $48.83) and lower volatility underscored the category’s comparatively choppy ride.
Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Lead show the Marketing & Advertising industry across all countries running more volatile and, on average, below the global all‑industry level—briefly outpacing the market mid‑year before a pronounced late‑year reset. Understanding Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead trends for the Marketing & Advertising industry across all countries helps quantify lead‑gen costs and compare CPL performance to global patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Marketing & Advertising industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. 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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