Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all industries worldwide, Facebook Ads cost-per-click (CPC) followed a familiar arc: softening after the holidays, dipping through summer, and spiking into November before easing in December. The year’s median CPC averaged about $1.14, with a tight band around $1.13–$1.14 through late spring, a trough in September, and a sharp Q4 surge. Volatility was modest for most of the year, punctuated by the predictable holiday lift. 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 all industries across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
The series opens at $1.27 in December 2024 and ends at $1.12 in December 2025, an 12% decline year over year. The global high arrives in November 2025 at $1.32, while the low lands in September at $1.07. That $0.26 spread represents roughly 23% of the annual average, framing a market that was steady for long stretches but capable of sharp Q4 moves.
Month by month, CPC cooled quickly after the holidays: December 2024 to January 2025 dropped by $0.14 (−11%). From February to May, CPC hovered in a narrow range ($1.13–$1.14), signaling stable auction dynamics. Late Q2 brought the first notable dip, with June at $1.08. Q3 remained soft—July at $1.08, August at $1.10, and the year’s low in September at $1.07—before rebuilding to $1.11 in October. November produced the largest single-month increase (+$0.22, +19%), followed by the largest drop in December (−$0.20, −15%) as holiday intensity faded. On average, absolute monthly movement was $0.06—about 5% of the mean CPC—indicating moderate volatility outside of Q4.
Quarterly rhythm underlines the arc: Q1 averaged $1.14, Q2 eased to $1.12, Q3 bottomed at $1.08, and Q4 rebounded to $1.18, lifted by November’s peak.
Seasonality is clear. Performance typically softens after the Q4 surge, stabilizing through Q1 as competition recedes. Q2 retains this balance before sliding into a softer Q3 that often marks the annual trough. Competitive pressure returns in Q4, lifting CPCs sharply in November, with December normalizing as the peak passes. The 2025 pattern mirrors this cadence almost exactly, with the mild plateau in February–May and the pronounced November spike.
Because the view here aggregates all industries across all countries, it is the global benchmark. As such, the selected series and the baseline are identical—no above-market or below-market gaps emerge. The global CPC benchmark averaged $1.14 across the period, declined 12% from December to December, and exhibited the same measured volatility with a notable Q4 flare-up.
In short, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost-per-click across all industries worldwide show stable CPC trends for most of 2025, a late-summer low, and a predictable November spike. These CPC trends, viewed alongside CPM analysis and CTR performance in broader studies, help frame country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance against a reliable global pattern. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for all industries across all countries provides a clear view of how global CPCs move throughout the year.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. 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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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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