Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
The headline story for Facebook Ads benchmarks on cost-per-click (CPC) this period is a gentle easing through mid‑year, followed by a pronounced Q4 lift. While we do not have a country-specific series for Agriculture in South Africa in this release, the global benchmark provides a reliable reference for country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance. The global CPC trend ran relatively tight for most months, with a sharp November spike that reset the yearly high before normalizing in December.
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 South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
Across December 2024 to December 2025, the global median CPC averaged about $1.14. The period opened at $1.28 in December 2024 and closed at $1.10 in December 2025, a 14% year-over-year decline. The high was $1.31 in November 2025, while the low was $1.06 in September 2025, putting the range at roughly $0.25 (about a 23% spread from the low).
Month-to-month movement was generally contained: the average absolute change was $0.07 (about 6% of the mean), signaling moderate volatility. The standout exceptions came late in the year—an 19% jump from October ($1.10) to November ($1.31), followed by a 16% pullback into December ($1.10). By contrast, early 2025 saw steady, small steps: January ($1.12), February ($1.13), and March ($1.14) hovered near the average.
Most months sat in a narrow band from roughly $1.07 to $1.14. Nine of the 13 months fell below the overall average, indicating that a small cluster of elevated points—December 2024 and especially November 2025—pulled the mean up.
Seasonality came through clearly. After the elevated December 2024 holiday level, January reset lower by 12%, and CPCs stayed steady through spring. Q2 averaged $1.12, edging below Q1’s $1.13. The softest stretch was Q3, averaging $1.08, with July ($1.07) and September ($1.06) marking the trough. This mid-year softness is consistent with lighter competition in many categories.
Intensity returned in Q4 2025. October lifted back to $1.10, November surged to the period high of $1.31, and December eased to $1.10—still above the Q3 trough and close to the yearly average. In short, CPC trends were calm through most of the year, punctuated by a sharp Q4 peak and a measured year-end cool-down.
The Agriculture time series for South Africa was not available for this window, so a direct month-by-month comparison to the global CPC benchmark cannot be quantified. The global pattern, however, sets a reference frame: a central band between $1.07 and $1.14 for most months, a soft Q3 around $1.08 on average, and a pronounced Q4 lift with a November apex at $1.31. Any South Africa Agriculture readings—when available—can be read against this range to assess whether the market is running above market, below average, or tracking closely with global CPC dynamics. While CPM analysis and CTR performance were not the focus here, the CPC rhythm reflects the broader auction intensity that typically influences those adjacent Facebook Ads benchmarks.
In sum, the global CPC benchmark for Facebook Ads shows a mid-year lull and a Q4 surge, with November setting the high and December closing the year near average. Understanding CPC trends for the Agriculture industry in South Africa—against this global yardstick—helps frame country-specific ad costs and benchmark industry ad performance relative to global patterns.
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 South Africa, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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 November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas & Day of Goodwill), Mid-year retail (June Youth Day promotions)
CPM and CPC might rise during long weekends like Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, and Heritage Day as leisure and travel-related media consumption increases. Retail CPMs may spike in late November–December for holiday shopping. Youth Day and National Women's Day might drive regional campaigns. Weekend extensions across public holidays may benefit weekend campaigns.
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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