Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The headline: Netherlands cost‑per‑click (CPC) began the period well below the global benchmark, then climbed sharply into the summer to finish above it — a dramatic momentum story. 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 started at 0.33 (July 2025) and ended at 1.39 (July 2026), a roughly 317% increase from trough to terminal month. Across the 13‑month window the Dutch median CPC averaged about 0.86 (local currency), with a low of 0.33 (July 2025) and a peak of 1.53 (June 2026). By comparison the global median CPC averaged about 1.04 during the same months.
Key monthly movements punctuate the series: an early low in July 2025 was followed by a moderate lift into August and a period of relative stability through February 2026. March produced a notable rebound to roughly 1.02, then a quieter spring month in April (0.89) and May (0.77) before a sharp surge into June (1.53) and a slight pullback into July (1.39). Overall the Netherlands displayed larger swings than the baseline — the average monthly absolute move was about 0.24, a substantial amplitude for cost‑per‑click readings.
The Dutch CPC pattern shows a valley in late summer 2025, a spring uptick around March 2026, and a pronounced spike at the start of the high‑summer period in June 2026. May→June was the single largest month‑over‑month change (≈+0.77), representing a rapid lift in unit CPC. The mid‑period March rebound nearly closed the gap with the global benchmark, while late‑period activity pushed the Netherlands above global CPCs. Rhythm here is choppier than the baseline: several months of small moves are punctuated by two larger surges (March and June).
Across the year the Netherlands ran below the global median overall — roughly 18% lower on average (0.86 vs 1.04). Month‑by‑month the gap narrows and flips: Dutch CPCs were 60–70% below global levels at the initial low (July 2025), moved within single digits of parity in March 2026 (about 4% below), and then crossed above the global benchmark in June (about 38% above) and July 2026 (about 80% above). Volatility underlines that divergence: the Netherlands’ average monthly move (~0.24) was more than twice the global average monthly movement (~0.10), signaling a more volatile cost environment for CPC in Netherlands compared with the world baseline.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost‑per‑click benchmarks for all industries in the Netherlands helps advertisers evaluate country‑specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global CPC trends and broader CPM analysis.
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.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
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