Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Retail CPC in Sweden ran structurally below the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, yet with a choppier rhythm. The year opened with a deep Q1 trough, then rebounded sharply and held an elevated plateau through the holiday build. Despite staying far cheaper than the world average, Sweden’s pattern was more dramatic month to month, with standout swings in February and again in late summer into 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 Retail in Sweden compared to the global benchmark.
Retail CPC in Sweden averaged 0.52 across the period (median 0.52), starting at 0.52 in December 2024 and ending at 0.69 in December 2025—about a 33% lift year over year. The low came early: 0.09 in February 2025, followed by a sharp rebound to 0.55 in March (+515% month over month). The high landed at 0.75 in November, with a near-peak 0.70–0.69 cluster in August, October, and December.
Volatility was notable. Average absolute month-to-month change measured 0.13 points—roughly double the global benchmark’s 0.07—driven by a steep descent into February (−48% in January, −67% in February) and a swift March recovery. After stabilizing in spring, the series climbed into a higher range from late summer onward. Overall, Sweden’s CPC range stretched more than 8x from the February low to the November high.
Seasonality was pronounced:
Across halves, the split was stark. H1 2025 averaged 0.39, while H2 averaged 0.69—about 77% higher—indicating much stronger second-half CPC trends. Globally, the halves were essentially flat (H1 1.12 vs. H2 1.12), underscoring how Sweden’s rhythm diverged from the broader market.
Sweden’s Retail CPC stayed well below the global benchmark throughout. Sweden averaged 0.52 versus the global 1.14—about 54% lower on cost. The gap narrowed and widened through the year: tightest in August (36% below global) and widest in February (92% below). Trend direction diverged as well: Sweden rose +33% from December to December, while the global benchmark fell roughly −14% over the same span. Volatility also differed, with Sweden’s monthly swings nearly 2x the global average.
In short, Facebook Ads CPC trends for the Retail industry in Sweden were markedly cheaper than the global benchmark, but more volatile, with a dramatic Q1 dip and a strong late-year rise. Understanding these country-specific ad costs within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks complements CPM analysis and CTR performance views, helping teams contextualize industry ad performance in Sweden versus global CPC patterns.
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 Retail industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting Sweden, 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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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.
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Late November (Black Friday is huge), December (Christmas and post-Christmas sales), June (Midsummer seasonal promotions), January (Winter sale season)
CPMs might spike during Black Friday and early December, especially in e‑commerce and fashion. Easter and Midsummer holidays often decrease weekday inventory but increase media usage during long weekends. Midsummer tends to be quiet in retail but active in travel and food sectors. Post-Christmas sales in January still see high digital ad demand.
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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