Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The clearest story in the Facebook Ads benchmarks over the past 13 months is a calm first half, a soft late summer, and then a sharp Q4 surge and reset. Global cost-per-click (CPC) hovered close to $1.11 for most of 2025 before spiking in November and then retreating rapidly into January 2026. While Agriculture in Australia has no reported monthly series in this window, the global path provides a useful directional backdrop for country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance.
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 Agriculture in Australia compared to the global benchmark.
Across the global benchmark, CPC opened at $1.12 in January 2025 and closed at $0.85 in January 2026, a 25% decline over the period. The average CPC was $1.11, with a high of $1.32 in November 2025 and a low of $0.85 in January 2026. Month-to-month volatility averaged $0.07 per click, but the profile was not uniform: the largest single-month lift came in October to November (+17%), followed by the steepest drops from November to December (−20%) and December to January (−20%).
Mid-year costs drifted lower: after a gentle spring lift toward $1.15 in May, CPC eased to $1.09 by September. The market then pivoted into a pronounced November spike—typical of heightened Q4 pressure—before costs reset to $1.05 in December and fell further to $0.85 in January, 36% below the November high. Eight of the 13 months sat above the $1.11 average (notably January through May, August, October, and November), while June, July, September, December, and January 2026 were below.
Seasonally, the benchmark was steady in Q1 (average ~$1.13) and Q2 (~$1.13), softened in Q3 (~$1.11), and became bifurcated in Q4. With November elevated, Q4 averaged ~$1.16; excluding that spike, October and December averaged closer to ~$1.09. This pattern reflects the common rhythm where auction intensity builds into late Q4 and then unwinds at year’s turn, with engagement often rebounding as CPCs come down in early Q1. The two-step decline from November to January captures that reset vividly.
For Agriculture in Australia, monthly CPC data is not available in the selected period, so a direct comparison to the global benchmark cannot be quantified. What the benchmark does show is a global market that was broadly stable through midyear, faced above-market pressure in November, and then saw below-average CPCs in December and January. Any gap between Australia’s Agriculture CPC trends and the global curve remains unobserved here; however, the timing of global inflections—late-summer softness, a November peak, and a January trough—defines the context for interpreting country-specific ad costs when local data is present.
Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks outline clear CPC trends: a steady first half, a soft Q3, a sharp Q4 lift, and a pronounced early-Q1 reset. While the Agriculture series for Australia is not reported for this window, the global CPC analysis frames expected seasonality and volatility. Understanding cost-per-click benchmarks for the Agriculture industry in Australia—against global patterns—helps marketers evaluate country-specific ad costs and situate performance within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Agriculture industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting Australia, advertisers typically see good engagement rates despite moderate costs. 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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Late December (Christmas and Boxing Day), Early December (Cyber Monday), January (Back-to-school), May (Mother's Day)
Ad costs could spike around major holidays, especially Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas. Increased budgets and earlier scheduling may be necessary. Retailers should consider planning promotions around back-to-school and Mother's Day to maximize campaign effectiveness.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
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Cost per lead across different markets
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