Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all industries in New Zealand, Facebook Ads cost per thousand impressions (CPM) told a two-act story in 2025: a subdued first half, a dramatic July–August surge, and a swift reset into a softer Q4. New Zealand’s median CPM averaged 19.05 for the year, trailing the global benchmark at 20.15 by roughly 6%. For most months, CPMs sat below the worldwide average, punctuated by a sharp midyear spike that briefly pushed the market far above global levels. Volatility was the defining feature, with CPMs swinging more than fivefold between the yearly low and high.
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 all industries in New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.
New Zealand’s CPM opened at 11.03 in January and closed at 18.46 in December, a 67% lift across the year despite choppy movement. The annual low landed in February at 10.00, while the high arrived in August at 54.32—more than 5x the trough and nearly 3x the annual average. July (33.69) was the second-highest month, underscoring a concentrated Q3 surge.
Key monthly moves:
Volatility in New Zealand was stark: the average month-to-month absolute move was 8.84 points, compared with just 1.21 globally—about 7x more volatile. Seven of twelve months came in below 15, reinforcing how unusual the July–August spike was relative to the rest of the year.
Seasonality in New Zealand diverged from the classic CPM arc. Q1 was muted (average 11.96), Q2 lifted steadily (14.85), and Q3 spiked to an outsized average of 34.70. Q4 cooled to 14.69, with a year-end uptick in December. Globally, CPMs typically firm through Q3 and peak in Q4 as competition rises; New Zealand’s cost pressure instead concentrated in midyear and faded heading into the holidays.
Relative to the global benchmark, New Zealand underindexed most of the year but overshot dramatically in Q3:
For Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPM analysis across all industries in New Zealand shows a market that spent most months below the global average but experienced an extraordinary Q3 surge before reverting lower in Q4. Understanding CPM performance and country-specific ad costs in New Zealand helps contextualize industry ad performance against the global trend line for 2025.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting New Zealand, 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–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), Christmas season (Boxing Day sales), Mid‑year promotions (Matariki in June), Back-to-school (late January/early February)
CPM and CPC might rise around Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day as public events increase media consumption. Matariki is new public holiday with growing awareness—advertising may see elevated competition. Late November–December Black Friday/Cyber Monday could drive ad costs significantly. Regional anniversary holidays may cause local inventory shifts.
CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.
Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.
In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.
Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.
Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.
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
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