Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Public Safety

Introduction

Public Safety brands saw a turbulent year for Facebook Ads cost per purchase, running considerably above the global benchmark for most months but punctuated by a dramatic late‑Q3 trough and a measured Q4 rebound. The category opened the year with very high acquisition costs, then whipsawed through sharp swings before settling lower into December. In contrast, the global all‑industry baseline drifted down gradually with far less volatility. 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 across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

Cost per purchase in Public Safety averaged $96.93 across the year, starting at $198.06 in January and ending at $71.43 in December, a 64% decline from start to finish. The annual high came in January ($198.06), while the low arrived in September ($27.65), a range of roughly $170. Month‑to‑month volatility was pronounced, averaging a $40 swing—well above the baseline’s $1.77.

Key movements stood out:

• January to February fell 65% ($198.06 to $68.51), followed by a 114% rebound in March ($146.39).
• Mid‑year moderated: May–July tightened to the low $100s ($118.87 → $102.78 → $102.04).
• August to September plunged 69% ($89.81 to $27.65), the category’s sharpest drop.
• September to October jumped 167% ($27.65 to $73.84), then eased into November ($56.82) before firming again in December ($71.43).

Overall, H1 (Jan–Jun, excluding April) averaged $126.92, while H2 (Jul–Dec) cooled to $70.27—about 45% lower, indicating a meaningful reset in acquisition costs in the back half.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Public Safety’s rhythm diverged from typical seasonality. Q1 was unusually elevated and choppy, led by January’s spike, whereas many categories see softer efficiency early in the year and rising competition into Q4. The category steadied from May through August in a narrower $90–$120 band before the September low broke the pattern. Q4 did not escalate as steeply as Q1’s peaks; instead, costs stabilized in the $56–$74 range, suggesting a gentler year‑end than the volatile first half.

By comparison, the global baseline followed a smoother arc: costs peaked modestly in February (~$54.80), hovered in the low $50s through early fall, then eased into November and December (~$47.16 and ~$45.08).

Section 3: Public Safety vs. Global

Against the global all‑industry benchmark (average ~$51.40), Public Safety’s cost per purchase was consistently higher, averaging about 89% above market. The gap was widest in January, when Public Safety ran 272% over the baseline, and narrowest in September, the lone month below market, at 48% under the global level. While the global trend declined steadily by about 15% from January to December, Public Safety’s trajectory was choppier, marked by outsized swings (+114%, −69%, +167%) and a steeper full‑year slide.

Closing

Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per purchase show that industry ad performance in Public Safety across all countries was high and volatile versus the global norm, with early‑year peaks, a September low, and a modest Q4 rebound. Understanding these cost dynamics—alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance, and country‑specific ad costs—helps position Public Safety benchmarks within the wider landscape of global Facebook Ads performance.