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 CPC in 2025 reads as a controlled year with a late surge and a sharp reset. Costs hovered in a narrow band around 1.10–1.15 for most months, spiked in November, then pulled back hard into December and fell further in early 2026. That rhythm offers a useful benchmark backdrop for evaluating country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance.
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 Safety in India compared to the global benchmark.
Across 2025, the global median CPC averaged about 1.13, starting the year at 1.12 in January and closing December at 1.05 (−6% from January). The annual high landed in November at 1.32, while the 2025 low was December at 1.05. Early 2026 opened with a deeper reset to 0.85, roughly 25% below the 2025 average and 20% below December.
Month to month, movements were modest for most of the year: the average absolute change across 2025 was about 0.06 points, reflecting steady CPC trends. The standout exceptions clustered in Q4. November jumped by about 17% from October (1.32 vs. 1.12), then December retreated by roughly 20% from November (1.05 vs. 1.32). Including January 2026’s drop (−20% vs. December) nudges the 13-month average volatility to about 0.07 points.
Overall, 2025 split into three chapters:
Only four months—March, April, May, and November—sat above the annual average of 1.13.
Seasonally, CPCs in the global benchmark drifted higher into late Q1 and spring, then settled into a stable mid-year band. The Q4 pattern was pronounced: a late-year lift culminating in November’s peak, followed by a December cooldown. Early Q1 2026 opened notably softer at 0.85, continuing the post-peak reset. While this view centers on CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance commonly follow similar Q4 pressure and early-year relief, consistent with broader Facebook Ads benchmarks.
For Public Safety in India, a country-level CPC series was not available in this cut of the dataset, so a direct “India vs. global” gap cannot be quantified. As a frame of reference, the global CPC benchmark averaged 1.13 in 2025, with most months clustered between 1.09 and 1.15. The global curve rose modestly into spring (+3% from January to May), eased mid-year (−5% May to September), surged in November (+17% month over month), and then reversed (−20% in December), before a further early-2026 reset (−20% vs. December). Without India-specific readings, relative positioning—above market, below average, or more volatile—cannot be confirmed for Public Safety in India.
In summary, Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks show a steady 2025 with a sharp Q4 spike and a pronounced early-2026 reset. While the India series for Public Safety is unavailable, the global CPC trend provides a directional yardstick for understanding country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance. Understanding Facebook Ads CPC benchmarks for the Public Safety industry in India helps contextualize cost dynamics against global CPC trends and seasonality.
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 Safety industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting India, 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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October (Diwali), Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas), July–August (Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi)
CPMs might spike significantly during Diwali, especially in electronics, apparel, jewellery, and gifts. Black Friday/Cyber Monday and December could drive elevated ad competition. State-specific festivals might see regional campaign spikes. Bank closures during holidays may push online shopping to cluster in end-of-week periods.
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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