Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The global story for Facebook Ads benchmarks in 2025 shows a calm first half, a soft mid-year, and a dramatic Q4 swing in cost per click. Against that backdrop, the Public Administration segment in Italy has no recorded monthly CPC readings in the provided window, so the comparison is directional rather than numeric. Still, the baseline gives a clear picture of market pressure: CPC trends eased into summer, surged in November, then reset sharply in December. 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 Italy compared to the global benchmark.
Globally, CPC opened at $1.12 in January and finished at $1.06 in December, a net decline of about 6% across the year. The annual average landed near $1.13, with a high of $1.32 in November and a low of $1.06 in December—an annual range of $0.26 per click, roughly 23% of the average.
Momentum moved in identifiable waves. From January to May, CPC edged up from $1.12 to $1.15, then softened through September with readings around $1.09–$1.13. October brought a modest lift to $1.13 before a sharp November spike to $1.32 (+17% vs. October), followed by a reset to $1.06 in December (−20% vs. November). Month-over-month volatility averaged about $0.06, but Q4 drove the largest swings: +$0.19 into November, −$0.26 into December.
Seasonally, the pattern aligns with familiar auction pressure. Q1 averaged about $1.13 and Q2 held close at $1.13, but Q3 was the softest stretch of the year at roughly $1.11 as competition typically eases and engagement normalizes post-summer. Q4 stood out at $1.17 on average, but that headline is powered by the November surge; December was the year’s trough despite ongoing holiday activity, reflecting a rapid cooldown after the peak. In narrative terms: steady spring, softer summer, pronounced late-year lift, then a reset.
For Public Administration in Italy, the dataset contains no observed monthly CPC values for the period shown. As a result, the country-specific ad costs cannot be quantified relative to the global CPC curve. What can be said is that the global benchmark rose modestly into late spring, drifted lower through September, then saw a sharp November spike followed by the lowest monthly CPC of the year in December. Without Italy’s series, there’s no evidence of sustained “above market” or “below average” positioning for the local Public Administration segment, nor a way to size the gap at its narrowest or widest points.
In sum, the 2025 global CPC trend for Facebook Ads shows a mild first-half climb, a mid-year dip, and a volatile Q4 punctuated by a November peak and a December reset—useful context when considering industry ad performance. While country-specific data for Public Administration in Italy is unavailable here, understanding CPC trends within the global benchmark helps anchor Facebook Ads benchmarks and country-specific ad costs for comparison to broader CPM analysis and CTR performance narratives.
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 Italy, 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 & post‑Christmas sales (late December), Ferragosto (mid‑August) summer tourism, Back‑to‑school (September)
CPM and CPC might increase during spring holidays when Italians engage in travel or leisure. Ferragosto may see travel and hospitality ads face high competition while retail CPMs dip. Late November and December see ad demand surges. 'Ponte' long weekends could affect ad pacing with stronger performance on adjacent weekdays.
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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