Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Public Administration

Introduction

Public Administration lead costs moved on a different rhythm than the broader market in 2025. While the global benchmark for Cost Per Lead (CPL) stayed relatively steady, Public Administration across all countries swung sharply—quiet in January, surging mid-year, and spiking hard into November before cooling in December. The result: a higher-cost, more volatile year than the global average, with standout peaks in late Q4. 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 Administration across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

Across 2025, Public Administration CPL averaged $57, ranging from a low of $13 in January to a high of $130 in November. The year opened at $13, climbed to $71 in February, eased to $45–58 through spring, and then rose again through late Q3 and Q4, peaking at $130 before dropping back to $46 in December. From the January low to the November high, CPL expanded by 888%, underscoring unusual amplitude for a single year.

Volatility was a defining characteristic: the average absolute month-to-month move was $31.83, roughly 10 times the global benchmark’s $3.13. The largest month-over-month gain came in November (+$54.54 versus October), and the sharpest pullback followed in December (−$83.84). Over the full year, H2 averaged $65.65 versus $48.75 in H1—about 35% higher—showing a pronounced second-half lift.

For reference, the global benchmark averaged $41.53 in 2025, with a comparatively tight range from $33 (March) to $48.83 (October). That stability contrasts with Public Administration’s wide swing between $13 and $130.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Public Administration demonstrated a soft start and an assertive finish. Q1 averaged $43 (held down by January’s unusual low), Q2 pushed higher at $54, and Q3 settled around $48. The most aggressive movement appeared in Q4: an $83 average across October–December, driven by the November spike. By comparison, the global benchmark showed a mild climb into Q3 and a modest Q4 plateau (Q3 at $44, Q4 at $46), a typical pattern as competition rises late in the year. Country-specific ad costs can vary, but in aggregate, Q4 was the pressure point for Public Administration CPLs in 2025.

Section 3: Country vs. Global

Public Administration CPLs ran about 38% above the global benchmark on average ($57 vs. $41.53). The category outpaced the market in 9 of 12 months, with the narrowest gap in May (−0.5% below global) and the widest gap in November (+168% above global). The deepest underperformance occurred in January, when CPLs sat 63% below global. Trend-wise, the market baseline rose gradually (+16% from March low to October high), while Public Administration traced a choppier line with larger swings and a much stronger Q4 surge (+74% from Q3 to Q4, versus +5% globally).

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Lead in Public Administration across all countries point to a higher-cost, more volatile year than the global average, with an outsized Q4 spike and a reversion in December. Understanding CPL trends for Public Administration helps advertisers gauge industry ad performance against global patterns and interpret how this category diverged from the broader market through 2025.