Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
For all industries in the Netherlands, Facebook Ads CPC trends in 2025 ran consistently below the global benchmark but moved with more dramatic swings. The year opened high, slumped into a deep midsummer trough, then surged toward a Q4 peak before easing in December. Volatility was the defining feature, with standout lows in July and a sharp peak in November.
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 in the Netherlands compared to the global benchmark.
Median CPC in the Netherlands averaged 0.73 across 2025, starting at 0.86 in January and ending at 0.70 in December, an 18% decline across the year. The annual low landed in July at 0.32, followed by an immediate rebound to 0.75 in August. The yearly high arrived in November at 1.01—one of only five months above the Dutch annual average and the only month above 1.00.
The range from low to high (0.32 to 1.01) reflects a 3.2x swing, underscoring a choppy CPC environment. Month over month, the Netherlands saw average absolute moves of 0.22 per click—about four times the global benchmark’s 0.06. The steepest single-month lift came in August (+0.44 vs. July, +138%), while the sharpest pullback followed the November spike, sliding 0.31 into December (−31%).
Across halves, H1 averaged 0.76 and H2 0.70 (−8%), with seven of twelve months running below the Dutch annual average.
The cadence was classic but amplified. Q1 held relatively firm (0.79 on average), spring softened (Q2 at 0.73), and Q3 marked the trough (0.60) with the July low anchoring the year. Q4 rebounded to an average of 0.80, driven by a pronounced November peak, then cooled into December as auction pressure eased.
This pattern aligns with typical platform dynamics: performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1. In the Netherlands, that Q4 pulse was noticeable but concentrated, with the spike largely contained to November.
Compared to global Facebook Ads benchmarks, the Netherlands ran structurally cheaper and more volatile:
Overall, Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for all industries in the Netherlands point to lower country-specific ad costs than the global average, paired with notably higher month‑to‑month variability and a concentrated November surge. Understanding CPC trends and industry ad performance patterns in the Netherlands helps advertisers evaluate how local CPCs stack up against global Facebook Ads benchmarks and seasonal pressures.
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. For campaigns targeting Netherlands, 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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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
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Late November–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas and Boxing Day sales), Spring holidays (April–June tourism)
CPM and CPC might rise during spring holiday cluster when travel and leisure ads see elevated engagement. Liberation Day (May 5) is mandatory national holiday—ad inventory might shrink. Ad competition increases in late December for holiday promotions. Few summer holidays mean more consistent campaign performance through summer.
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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