Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks in United Kingdom

Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type

CPM (Cost Per Mille) in United Kingdom

June 2025 - June 2026

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Introduction

Headline: Great Britain’s CPMs ran a choppier, slightly lower-cost course than the global benchmark over the past 12 months. 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 Great Britain compared to the global benchmark.

Overall snapshot: cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for All industries in Great Britain averaged about £18.0, versus a global median near £20.7 — roughly 13% lower on average. That headline gap masks a volatile rhythm: sharp holiday spikes and deep troughs in autumn and late winter produced month-to-month swings far larger than the baseline.

The story in the data

The year opened in June 2025 at £17.9 and closed in May 2026 at £16.1, a modest net decline of about 10% from start to finish. The range was wide: the low was £13.3 in October 2025 and the high £26.6 in December 2025 — a swing of about £13.3 (nearly 100% relative to the low). Monthly values averaged £18.0, with notable peaks in November–December 2025 and a pronounced dip in March 2026 at £14.3.

Compared to the global monthly medians, Great Britain was below the market in 9 of 12 months. The largest relative underperformance occurred in March (GB £14.3 vs global £22.2, ~36% lower) and October (GB £13.3 vs global £20.1, ~34% lower). Conversely, December stood out as the one clear overperformance month: GB £26.6 vs global £20.2, about 32% higher.

Volatility was concrete: average absolute month-to-month movement in Great Britain was about £3.8 (roughly 21% of the GB mean), compared with an average baseline monthly swing near £1.6 (about 7.5% of the global mean). In other words, GB CPMs moved roughly 2.4× more, month-to-month, than the global pattern.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

A seasonal tale emerges. Autumn produced the lowest trough (October), followed by a rebound into November and a strong spike in December. The holiday season spike peaked at £26.6 in December, materially above the global December median. Early Q1 showed a quick pullback: January and February settled near or slightly below global levels, then March posted a steep dip. April–May were relatively muted and stable near £16–£16.5 — below long‑run averages but less swingy than the winter months.

This rhythm—Q4 spike, Q1 retrenchment, late-winter softness—appears exaggerated in Great Britain compared with the baseline, where monthly movements were steadier and the highest medians clustered in the spring months instead of at year-end.

Country vs. Global

Relative framing: Great Britain’s CPMs trailed global medians by about 13% on average across the year, but the gap varied widely month-to-month. At the narrowest, GB was roughly in line or slightly above the global rate in July and January; at the widest, GB ran more than 35% below the global CPM in March. Overall, the global trend rose over the period (roughly +20% from June to May), while Great Britain showed a net decline (~−10%) and far greater month-to-month amplitude.

Understanding Facebook Ads CPM analysis and country-specific ad costs for All industries in Great Britain provides a clear picture of seasonal pressure points and relative market volatility. This CPM-focused industry ad performance summary for All industries in Great Britain situates local performance against global Facebook Ads benchmarks and broader CPM trends.

Understanding the Data

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 United Kingdom, advertisers experience moderate to high costs with strong performance in urban areas. 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.

Why we use median instead of average

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.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

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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The data behind the benchmarks

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.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

United Kingdom Advertising Landscape

National Holidays

Jan 1New Year's Day
Jan 22nd January (Scotland)
Apr 18Good Friday
Apr 21Easter Monday
May 5Early May Bank Holiday
May 26Spring Bank Holiday
Aug 25Summer Bank Holiday
Dec 25Christmas Day
Dec 26Boxing Day

Key Shopping Season

Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday surge), Late December (Christmas & Boxing Day promotions), Early May holiday weekend promotions

Potential Advertising Impact

CPM and CPC might increase around early May and late August bank holidays as people engage in leisure travel or retail browsing. During Black Friday/Cyber Monday, retail CPMs could spike sharply in fashion, electronics, and online shopping. Late December typically sees peak CPMs, with e‑commerce budgets needing early ramp-up.

What affects CPM rates on Facebook Ads?

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.

Why does my CPM vary so much between campaigns?

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.

What's a competitive CPM for 2025?

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.

Does audience size or targeting affect CPM more?

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.

Should I worry more about CPM or CPC?

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.