Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks for Design

Introduction

Design advertising ran expensive across the board this year. Median cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for Design across all countries consistently sat well above the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, with a pronounced mid‑year surge, a sharp July reset, and a late‑year cool‑down. Volatility was a defining feature: big month‑to‑month swings punctuated an otherwise elevated pricing environment.

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 Design across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across November 2024 through October 2025, Design CPMs averaged $37.8, ranging from a low of $29.30 in July to a high of $46.56 in June. The period opened at $41.27 in November 2024, eased to $31.52 in December, climbed through spring to $42.10 in March, and peaked in June. After June’s high, CPMs dropped abruptly to $29.30 in July before rebounding to a two‑month plateau around $43.33 in August and September, and then cooled to $31.24 in October. Net change across the period was −24% from November to October.

Movements were brisk. Average month‑to‑month absolute change was $8.07, with the steepest swing from June to July (−$17.26) and the strongest rebound from July to August (+$14.04). By contrast, the global benchmark moved far more gently, averaging $20.0 CPM with a narrow range ($17.87–$24.53) and just $1.27 in average monthly change.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Q4 2024 opened elevated for Design, with November pricing high and December cooling notably. Early Q1 2025 held steady in the mid‑$30s, then momentum built into March. Q2 accelerated sharply, culminating in June’s annual high—typical of rising competition and spend patterns ahead of mid‑year campaigns. Q3 brought a whiplash: a July trough immediately followed the June peak, then an August–September rebound restored CPMs to the low‑$40s. October marked another reset as CPMs stepped down ahead of the holiday run‑up, reflecting a softer entry into Q4 2025.

Country vs. Global

Design CPMs across all countries stayed above market every month. The category’s median of $37.8 ran roughly 1.9x the global all‑industry level of $20.0—an average premium of +89%. The gap was widest in June 2025, when Design CPMs were +137% above the global benchmark, and narrowest in October at +46%. While the global trend gently drifted lower across the year (−13% from November to October), Design’s trajectory was choppier (−24%), with six‑times the monthly volatility of the market baseline ($8.07 vs. $1.27). Even during Design’s July low, CPMs remained +52% above global levels; during the late‑summer rebound, they returned to more than double the benchmark.

Closing

Taken together, this CPM analysis shows that Facebook Ads benchmarks for the Design industry remain structurally higher and more volatile across all countries than the global norm, with a clear mid‑year spike, a sharp Q3 reset, and a softer October. Understanding CPM benchmarks for Design across all countries helps quantify country‑specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance against global patterns.