Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks

Introduction

The global CPM story in 2025 reads like a slow burn that accelerates into a classic Q4 surge. Across all industries and all countries, Facebook Ads CPM (cost per thousand impressions) opened the year at $17.75 in January, held a steady mid-year rhythm around the $19–20 range, then lifted sharply into a November peak of $25.26 before easing to $22.41 in December. The pattern mirrors typical auction pressure late in the year, with Q4 commanding the highest prices and a brief cooldown after peak demand.

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 all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

From start to finish, CPM rose +26% from January ($17.75) to December ($22.41), with the year’s high arriving in November ($25.26) and the low in January. The annual average settled at $20.19, meaning eight of the twelve months priced below the yearly mean—clear evidence that Q4’s elevation pulled the average upward. The overall range spanned $7.52.

Month by month, the market moved in measured steps for most of the year. Early momentum appeared in March (+$1.24 vs. February to $19.22) before an April dip to $18.57. A mid-year plateau formed from May through September, mostly between $19.53 and $20.38, with small retracements in June and July and a modest August lift. The tempo changed in Q4: October jumped to $21.74 (+8.9% vs. September), November surged to $25.26 (+16.2% vs. October), and December cooled to $22.41 (−11.3% vs. November).

Volatility averaged $1.18 month over month (about 5.8% of the annual mean). Notably, 63% of all absolute monthly movement occurred in the October–December window, underscoring how concentrated the year’s swings were. The sequence produced six monthly increases and five declines across the 11 transitions.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality expressed itself cleanly. Q1 averaged $18.32, the softest quarter of the year. CPMs edged higher in Q2 ($19.33) and again in Q3 ($19.96), reflecting steady demand without dramatic spikes. The cadence broke in Q4, where the average rose to $23.14—up 26% versus Q1 and 16% versus Q3—capturing the strongest pricing power of the year. Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1; this series follows that familiar arc, culminating in a November peak and a December comedown that still sits well above the year’s starting point.

Country vs. Global

Because this view aggregates all industries across all countries, the selected time series is the global benchmark. The two move in lockstep: the gap is 0% in every month, the peaks and troughs are identical, and volatility is the same. In other words, this is “on market” by definition—neither above nor below the global average at any point.

Closing

This CPM analysis of Facebook Ads benchmarks for all industries worldwide shows a stable first three quarters and a decisive Q4 escalation, with November setting the high watermark and December easing yet remaining elevated. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-thousand-impressions benchmarks for all industries across all countries helps marketers assess country-specific ad costs relative to global patterns and interpret CPM trends alongside broader CPC and CTR performance.