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 headline story: the global Facebook Ads cost-per-click environment eased through 2025, with a brief Q4 surge before a sharp year-end reset. While we do not have in-market monthly readings for Public Administration in South Africa over this window, the global benchmark provides a clear directional backdrop: CPCs trended lower across the year, punctuated by a pronounced November spike and a December low. Volatility was moderate for most of the year, then concentrated in late Q4.
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 South Africa compared to the global benchmark.
Across the global benchmark, median CPC moved from 1.28 in December 2024 to 1.05 in December 2025, an 18% decline over 13 months. The average for the period was 1.13, with a high of 1.30 in November 2025 and the low at 1.05 in December 2025.
Month by month, the early year held steady: January to March hovered in a tight 1.12–1.14 range. Mid-year softened further, with June (1.08) and July (1.07) among the leaner months. After a mild uptick in August (1.10) and October (1.10), CPCs spiked to 1.30 in November—the largest single-month increase of the period (+0.20)—before reversing to the year’s trough in December (−0.25 month over month).
Volatility averaged about 0.07 points in absolute month-over-month movement—roughly 6% of the mean CPC—signaling a generally controlled trend punctuated by two outsized moves in November and December. Outside those months, swings were comparatively small, often within a 0.01–0.04 band.
Seasonally, the benchmark paints a familiar rhythm. Q1 was steady and relatively efficient on a CPC basis. Q2 and early Q3 marked the softest stretch, with June–July near the year’s floor and September briefly touching 1.07. Q4 brought the expected competitive lift, cresting in November, followed by an atypically sharp correction in December that set the annual low.
This pattern suggests a market that tightens into late Q4 before resetting—an arc common in country-specific ad costs when auction pressure peaks late in the year and engagement or budget pacing shifts at the turn.
For Public Administration in South Africa, no monthly CPC readings were captured in this period, so the gap to the global benchmark cannot be quantified. The benchmark itself shows a −18% annual trend with a Q4 whipsaw, an average CPC of 1.13, and moderate volatility overall (0.07 average absolute monthly change). In the absence of observed in-country values, this provides the clearest directional reference for Facebook Ads benchmarks and CPC trends relevant to industry ad performance.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for the Public Administration industry in South Africa—viewed against the global series—helps frame country-specific ad costs, seasonal cadence, and CPC trends even when local readings are limited.
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 South Africa, 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), December (Christmas & Day of Goodwill), Mid-year retail (June Youth Day promotions)
CPM and CPC might rise during long weekends like Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, and Heritage Day as leisure and travel-related media consumption increases. Retail CPMs may spike in late November–December for holiday shopping. Youth Day and National Women's Day might drive regional campaigns. Weekend extensions across public holidays may benefit weekend campaigns.
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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