Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Gaming advertisers in Germany saw a year defined by two very different cost environments: exceptionally low CPCs through winter, a sharp March spike, and then a reset into a steadier, below-market run for the rest of the year. Compared with the global benchmark, Germany’s Gaming CPCs were mostly discounted by a wide margin, with one notable upside break in March. Volatility was the headline difference: Germany’s swings were far sharper than the global pattern.
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 Gaming in Germany compared to the global benchmark.
Across the 12-month window, Gaming CPC in Germany averaged 0.69, climbing from 0.30 in November to 0.74 by October (+146% over the period). The low came in December (0.28), followed by a steady winter lift into February (0.32–0.34). March marked the standout peak at 1.56—more than five times December’s level—before costs cooled to 1.09 in April and settled into a midyear trough at 0.54 in July. Late summer into early autumn rebounded mildly, holding in a tight 0.71–0.76 band from August to October.
Volatility was pronounced. The average month-to-month move was 0.24 points, driven by a +1.24 surge from February to March and a −0.47 step-down in April. By contrast, the global benchmark’s average monthly move was just 0.05 points, underscoring how unusually choppy Germany’s Gaming CPC trends were. The overall range in Germany (0.28 to 1.56) spanned 1.29 points; the global range over the same months was narrower, at 0.43 points.
The pattern reads as a classic winter discount, a spring surge, and a summer reset:
Relative to the global benchmark (average 1.14), Germany’s Gaming CPCs averaged about 40% lower. The gap was widest in the early months: November–December ran 78–80% below global. The only above-market month was March, when Germany’s 1.56 exceeded the global 1.14 by 37%. April came closest to parity at just 3% below. Through late summer and early autumn, Germany generally trailed by 27–35%.
While Germany rose from 0.30 to 0.74 over the period, the global trend drifted down from 1.46 to 1.05 (−28%). The contrast is clear: the global curve was stable and gently downward, whereas Germany’s Gaming market was more volatile and shaped by a single spring spike followed by a lower, steadier band.
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per click highlights how country-specific ad costs diverge by market. For Gaming in Germany, CPC trends were predominantly below the global average with one March breakout, followed by a reversion to a tighter, lower range. This CPC analysis helps benchmark industry ad performance in Germany against 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 Gaming industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting Germany, 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), Christmas shopping (late December), Back-to-school (August/September), Spring promotions (Easter period)
Media consumption might rise during Easter, Ascension Day, and Pentecost, especially for travel campaigns. Late November and December bring pronounced spikes in retail advertising. German Unity Day often triggers localized campaigns. Regional holidays may create unique local competition. Sunday/holiday retail restrictions may contract ad inventory.
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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