Compare CPC benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Gaming cost-per-clicks surged and outpaced the global baseline across most of the period. After a low starting point in July 2025, CPCs for Gaming climbed into a more elevated, choppy range through mid-2026 with a pronounced peak in May 2026. Volatility was notably higher in Gaming than the global benchmark, with several sharp month-to-month lifts and pullbacks standing out.
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 All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Gaming CPCs began at $0.61 in July 2025 and finished at $1.89 in July 2026 — a roughly 209% increase from start to finish. Across the 13-month window the median Gaming CPC averaged about $1.55, ranging from a low of $0.61 (July 2025) to a high of $1.99 (May 2026). The baseline (global) CPC averaged roughly $1.05 over the same months, with a high of $1.29 (Nov 2025) and a low of $0.77 (July 2026).
Month-to-month movement was uneven: the largest single jump occurred from July to August 2025 (+191%), followed by a pronounced peak in May 2026 (+21% vs. April). There were pullbacks as well — September and October 2025 trimmed some of August’s spike, and January 2026 sat below the December level before a rebound in February 2026.
Volatility measured as average absolute month-to-month change was about $0.24 for Gaming versus about $0.10 for the global baseline. In relative terms, Gaming’s monthly swings were roughly 15% of its mean CPC and about 2.4x more volatile than the global benchmark.
The series shows a sharp early jump in late summer 2025, then a settling phase through fall and winter with a modest dip into January 2026. From February through May 2026 the trend tilted upward again, culminating in the May high near $1.99. Summer 2026 maintained that higher band rather than reverting to the prior low — July 2026 remained elevated at $1.89.
By contrast, the global baseline moved within a tighter band and actually trended downward overall, with the baseline finishing lower in July 2026 ($0.77) than it started a year earlier ($1.08). The baseline’s notable swing was a Q4 uptick into November 2025, followed by a softer Q1 before small rebounds in spring.
Across the period Gaming CPCs ran above the global benchmark for 11 of 13 months. On average Gaming was about 48% higher than the baseline median CPC. Monthly gaps varied: Gaming trailed the global figure in July 2025 (about 43% lower), but in other months it exceeded the baseline by 15–80% and at its widest was roughly 146% higher in July 2026. The global trend was steadier and ended lower year-over-year, while Gaming’s trend was choppier and moved materially higher.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks, CPC trends and CTR performance context for Gaming in All countries available helps advertisers interpret industry ad performance and compare country-specific ad costs to global patterns.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
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. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPC values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, 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).
CPC varies by region, industry, and campaign objective. Use the filters to compare benchmarks that match your campaign. The US is one of the more expensive markets.
Audience targeting, industry competition, ad relevance score, and creative performance affect CPC. Low engagement or relevance can increase CPC.
CPC can increase with more competition in your target audience, seasonal trends such as holidays, lower ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check whether your audience is too narrow or your creative is showing fatigue.
Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop CPCs because there is more mobile inventory. Segment performance by placement to see where clicks come from.
For most businesses, conversion optimization produces better ROI than CPC alone. CPC optimization can suit awareness campaigns or content promotion when clicks are the goal.
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 because of purchase intent and advertiser competition. Results also depend on the audience and creative.
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