Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
The global story on Facebook Ads cost-per-click (CPC) over the past year is one of steady efficiency through midyear, a sharp lift into November, and an anomalous dip at year‑end. For Public Administration in the Netherlands, the country-level series is not available in this cut, so the global all‑industry benchmark provides the clearest directional context. The pattern is familiar: a softening through Q2 and Q3, followed by a Q4 rise as competition intensifies. Volatility remained modest month to month—until December’s outlier.
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 the Netherlands compared to the global benchmark.
Global CPC began at 1.27 in December 2024 and ended at 0.14 in December 2025—a clear outlier versus the rest of the year’s 1.06–1.31 range. Across January–November 2025, CPC averaged about 1.13, with the low at 1.06 in September and the high at 1.31 in November. From the late‑spring plateau around 1.10–1.14, costs eased into early summer (1.08 in July) before finding the year’s most efficient point in September, then climbing 24% from September’s 1.06 to November’s 1.31. Month‑over‑month movement averaged roughly 0.05 points during January–November, indicating contained volatility; including December’s 0.14 increases average movement to 0.14 due to that single, outsized swing.
Quarterly rhythm underscores the narrative. Q1 2025 (Jan–Mar) averaged 1.14, Q2 softened to 1.11 (−1.9% vs. Q1), and Q3 eased further to 1.08 (−3.1% vs. Q2). Q4 rebounded strongly: October and November averaged 1.21, up about 11.8% from Q3. November also surpassed December 2024 by roughly 3%, marking the year’s pricing peak before the December 2025 anomaly.
Seasonality is clear in the CPC trends. Q2 typically runs more efficient as auction pressure moderates, with a further softening into late summer. September marked the global floor at 1.06, consistent with many markets’ lighter spending cadence. From there, CPCs lifted into October (1.10) and surged in November (1.31), a familiar Q4 pattern as demand intensifies. The December 2025 value (0.14) sits far outside the year’s band and reads as a data outlier relative to the prevailing 1.06–1.31 range.
Country-specific CPC medians for Public Administration in the Netherlands are not present in this view, so a precise gap to the global benchmark cannot be quantified. As a directional proxy, the global series signals: a stable first quarter around 1.13–1.14, gradual efficiency gains through Q2 and Q3 toward a 1.06–1.10 range, and a pronounced Q4 lift culminating at 1.31 in November. The trendline rose steadily into late year (+24% from September to November) and was generally low‑volatility outside of December’s outlier.
While direct country values are unavailable here, these Facebook Ads benchmarks outline CPC trends and seasonal pricing cadence that frame country-specific ad costs for Public Administration in the Netherlands against the global pattern. Understanding CPC performance and its quarterly rhythm helps situate Netherlands Public Administration advertising within broader, data-driven global benchmarks.
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 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.
Improve your Facebook ad performance
• Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
• Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.
• Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.
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:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
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
See how much it costs to get users to install an app