Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Global Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Click (CPC) were broadly stable for most of 2025, then swung sharply in Q4. The global median hovered near $1.11 for the year, peaked at $1.32 in November, and reset to $1.05 in December before dropping further to $0.85 in January 2026. The pattern reads as a calm first three quarters, a pronounced holiday run-up, and a brisk post-peak correction. 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 Public Administration in Germany compared to the global benchmark.
A note on coverage: the dataset does not contain a monthly CPC series for Public Administration in Germany for this window, so the narrative below uses the global baseline to frame seasonality and magnitude. Relative positioning for Germany cannot be quantified for this period.
Global CPC opened 2025 at $1.12 and closed the period at $0.85 in January 2026, a 24% decline from start to finish. Across the 13 months, CPC averaged $1.11, with a range from a low of $0.85 (January 2026) to a high of $1.32 (November 2025). The largest month-to-month moves were concentrated late in the year: +$0.19 from October to November, followed by −$0.26 into December and another −$0.21 into January.
By contrast, the first ten months were uneventful. From January through October, CPC averaged $1.12 and shifted by only about 2 cents on average month over month. The average absolute monthly change across the full period was $0.07, but that headline masks a stark split: roughly $0.02 average moves through October versus $0.22 across November–January, a tenfold jump in volatility. The gap between the November peak and January trough was $0.47, or about 42% of the overall average CPC.
The cadence follows familiar auction pressure. A gentle lift from February to May (rising from $1.13 to $1.15) gave way to a mid-year softening in June–July near $1.10, then a steady re-acceleration into October. November marked the high-water line for CPC, consistent with end-of-year competition, before a rapid correction in December and a deeper low in early Q1. In other words, performance typically tightens into Q4 and loosens immediately after the peak retail window.
For Public Administration in Germany, there were no recorded monthly medians in this period, so a precise “above market” or “below average” reading versus the global CPC trend cannot be stated. The global line itself moved modestly for most of 2025 (+2% from January to May), then became markedly more volatile in Q4, with a November spike and a two-month reset that carried into January 2026. In the absence of a country series, the global benchmark serves as the directional reference for assessing CPC trends and seasonality.
Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for Public Administration in Germany—anchored to the global pattern—helps quantify CPC trends, late-year volatility, and the scale of post-peak resets compared to worldwide norms. This CPC analysis provides country-specific context for industry ad performance even when in-market monthly medians are unavailable.
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 Public Administration 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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