On a brisk January morning, Sarah, a small business owner in Ohio, launched her very first Facebook ad. With a modest $150 budget, she was hoping to generate a few leads for her new skincare line. Within three days, her ad reached over 12,000 people, and she closed 18 sales—all from a platform she had previously overlooked. Stories like Sarah’s are becoming increasingly common in 2025, as Facebook continues to dominate the social advertising landscape.

With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook remains a powerhouse for digital advertisers in 2025. But beyond anecdotes, what do the numbers really say about ad costs, reach, and returns this year? Below, we unpack the key statistics you need to understand Facebook advertising in 2025.

Editor’s Choice

• Facebook’s global advertising revenue is projected to hit $156.8 billion in 2025.
• The average cost-per-click (CPC) across all industries on Facebook in 2025 is $1.05, showing a slight decrease from last year’s $1.11.
• Retail and e-commerce lead in ad conversions with a 10.2% conversion rate, the highest among all sectors in 2025.
• The average Facebook ad reaches 2,417 users per $10 spent, a 5% increase in reach efficiency year-over-year.
• Video ads now account for 37.5% of total ad spend on the platform.
• Mobile-first campaigns in 2025 are delivering 62% higher engagement compared to desktop-targeted ads.
• Facebook’s audience targeting has become more refined, with 1.8 billion users being categorized under interest-based targeting segments in real time.

Average Lead Generation Metrics for Facebook Ad Campaigns

• Click-through rate (CTR) averages 2.50%, indicating moderate engagement with ad impressions.
• Cost per click (CPC) is approximately $1.92, reflecting typical ad spend for each click.
• Conversion rate stands at a strong 8.25%, showing effective lead capture from clicks.
• Cost per lead (CPL) comes in at $23.10, highlighting the average expense to acquire a lead.

Total Facebook Advertising Revenue

• Facebook’s parent company, Meta, reported a projected advertising revenue of $156.8 billion for 2025, reflecting a 5.8% year-over-year increase.
• North America continues to dominate in spend, generating over $79.3 billion in ad revenue alone, making up more than 50% of global Facebook ad income.
• Ad revenue from Asia-Pacific grew by 7.1%, totaling $42.6 billion in 2025.
• European advertisers contributed approximately $26.4 billion, representing a 3.9% annual growth.
• Revenue from Facebook Stories ads surged to $18.2 billion.
• The automotive industry increased its ad investment on Facebook by 12.6%, totaling $4.1 billion in 2025.
• Travel and tourism brands have rebounded post-pandemic, investing $3.3 billion in Facebook ads—an 8.4% jump from last year.

Top Performing Facebook Ad Formats

• Video ads remain the top-performing format in 2025, delivering 47% higher engagement than image-only ads.
• Carousel ads generate 1.6x more clicks than single-image ads, with users swiping through an average of 3.2 cards per impression.
• Collection ads report an average conversion rate of 11.2%, the highest among ecommerce-focused formats.
• Facebook Stories ads now represent 21.8% of ad inventory, with a completion rate of 41%.
• Slideshow ads, optimized for lower bandwidth regions, have seen a 33% increase in use in Southeast Asia.
• Poll ads deliver 2.9x more user interactions compared to static formats, particularly in mobile-first markets.
• Playable ads in the gaming sector yield an average install rate of 9.8%.
• Instant Experience ads (full-screen mobile experiences) report a 5.1% click-to-conversion ratio, higher than all other formats.
• Ads with dynamic creative optimization show 18.4% lower CPCs than standard format campaigns.

Facebook Influencer Engagement Rates by Post Type

• Reels generate the highest engagement rate at 0.23%, outperforming all other content types.
• Videos come next with a 0.17% engagement rate, significantly above the platform average.
• Photo posts see a modest 0.08% engagement rate, slightly above text content.
• Text posts have the lowest engagement rate at 0.07%, below the platform average.
• The average engagement rate for Facebook influencer posts across all formats is 0.11%.

Facebook Ad Reach and Impressions

• In 2025, Facebook ads reach an average of 2,417 users per $10 spent, compared to 2,304 last year.
• The platform will generate 190 billion ad impressions per month globally in 2025.
• U.S. advertisers account for 23% of global impressions, making it the most saturated market.
• Campaigns targeting users aged 25–34 continue to deliver the highest reach, 34.6% of total impressions.
• Facebook Reels Ads saw a 29% year-over-year increase in impressions, now averaging 27 billion monthly views.
• The average Facebook ad impression frequency is 3.4 times per user per campaign.
• For high-engagement campaigns, impressions surpass 4.2 per user, especially in local and regional targeting.

Mobile vs Desktop Facebook Ad Performance

• In 2025, mobile devices account for 94.1% of all Facebook ad impressions, up from 92.7% last year.
• Mobile ads generate 62% more engagement than desktop ads, with click-through rates (CTR) averaging 1.72% compared to 1.06% on desktop.
• The average conversion rate for mobile-optimized ads is 9.3%, while desktop conversion sits at 6.7%.
• Mobile video ads have an average view-through rate (VTR) of 32%, nearly double the 17% rate on desktop.
• The average CPC on mobile is $0.96, compared to $1.21 on desktop, continuing a trend of mobile cost-efficiency.
• Vertical video formats (9:16) on mobile outperform square (1:1) formats with 23% higher completion rates.
• Facebook’s Advantage+ campaigns optimized for mobile deliver 19% better return on ad spend (ROAS).
• Ads delivered via the Facebook mobile app achieve an average engagement rate of 3.8%, while desktop browser ads lag behind at 2.1%.
• Mobile placements in Facebook Stories now account for 27.4% of total video ad views, driven by younger audiences.

Average Cost Per Action (CPA) by Industry

• The average CPA across all industries on Facebook Ads is $19.68.
• Pets & Animals has the highest CPA at $56.89.
• Finance follows with a CPA of $44.23, and Business & Industrial at $41.28.
• Beauty & Fitness averages $38.33, while Real Estate sits at $33.21.
• People & Society has a CPA of $29.95, and Jobs & Education stands at $23.80.
• Home & Garden is $21.99, above the average.
• News and Internet & Telecom record lower CPAs at $18.36 and $15.29, respectively.
• Science shows the lowest CPA at just $12.67, followed by Food & Drink at $12.91.

Facebook Video Ad Engagement

• The average view-through rate (VTR) for video ads in 2025 is 29%.
• Videos under 15 seconds deliver the highest completion rate—53.7%, compared to 29.4% for longer formats.
• Native Facebook video ads (uploaded directly) achieve 1.8x more engagement than externally linked videos.
• Vertical videos see 22% more engagement than square or landscape formats on mobile.
• Facebook Reels ads generate 5.2 billion daily views, representing a 31% increase from the previous year.
• Shoppable video ads in the fashion sector boast an average conversion rate of 11.6%.
• Adding subtitles to videos results in 15.2% higher watch times, especially among audiences aged 30–50.
• Videos featuring people (especially UGC-style) outperform product-only videos with 38% more interactions.
• Interactive video formats (polls, tap-to-choose) see a 2.3x increase in engagement versus static formats.

Facebook Ad Spending by Region

• North America leads with $79.3 billion in Facebook ad spend in 2025, holding over 50% of the platform’s revenue.
• The Asia-Pacific region shows the fastest growth, with spending up 7.1%, totaling $42.6 billion.
• Europe contributes $26.4 billion, marking a 3.9% increase year-over-year.
• In Latin America, Facebook ad spend reached $6.8 billion, driven by e-commerce expansion in Brazil and Mexico.
• Middle East & North Africa (MENA) markets saw a 13.2% jump, totaling $4.1 billion, fueled by mobile banking and fintech.
• India recorded $3.3 billion in ad spend, with a 19.6% increase compared to 2024.
• Australia’s Facebook ad market grew by 4.3%, reaching $2.5 billion in 2025.
• Spending from small to midsize businesses in Tier 2 countries rose by 11.4%, now contributing $9.6 billion globally.
• Cross-border ad campaigns make up 18.7% of all spend, highlighting Facebook’s growing global commerce appeal.

Facebook Advertising Audience Breakdown by Age & Gender

• 25–34-year-old males represent the largest share of Facebook’s adult advertising audience at 18.5%.
• 25–34-year-old females follow closely with 12.7%, matching their male counterparts in this age range.
• 18–24-year-old males account for 12.7%, while females in this age group make up 9.1%.
• 35–44-year-old males contribute 11.7%, compared to 8.7% for females in the same group.
• For the 45–54 age group, males hold 6.6% of the audience, and females 5.7%.
• 55–64-year-olds have similar representation: 4.0% male and 3.9% female.
• The 65+ age segment is the smallest, with 3.4% female and 3.0% male.

Facebook Ads ROI Benchmarks

• In 2025, the average return on ad spend (ROAS) for Facebook campaigns is 5.3x.
• E-commerce brands report the highest ROAS at 6.4x, especially when using video and dynamic product ads.
• Lead generation campaigns average a 4.1x ROAS, with cost-per-lead (CPL) dropping to $9.25.
• Facebook Shops campaigns report a 7.1x ROAS, aided by seamless in-app checkout.
• ROAS for remarketing campaigns is 8.3x, reflecting strong performance among returning customers.
• ROAS is 12% higher for campaigns using Facebook’s Advantage+ tools and AI optimization.
• Campaigns using split testing and A/B optimization yield a 19.5% higher return than those without.
• Influencer-boosted ad campaigns generate an average of 5.8x ROAS, particularly among lifestyle brands.
• Subscription-based services on Facebook ads see an average 3.9x ROAS, slightly up from 3.6x last year.

Facebook Ad for Small Businesses

• In 2025, over 68 million small businesses actively advertise on Facebook.
• Small businesses spend an average of $427 per month on Facebook ads, 13% higher than the previous year.
• 1 in 3 small businesses report generating at least 50% of their online revenue through Facebook ad campaigns.
• Local service providers (e.g., salons, plumbers, pet care) achieve an average conversion rate of 10.1%, outperforming larger brands in localized ads.
• Geo-targeted ads for small businesses see a 3.4x increase in click-through rate (CTR) compared to non-targeted campaigns.
• Small businesses using Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns report 22% better performance than those using manual targeting.
• 64% of small businesses prefer Facebook over other platforms due to the ease of ad creation and granular audience targeting.
• Facebook’s in-app lead forms reduce the average cost per lead for small businesses to $8.20, a 16% improvement year-over-year.
• Over 41% of U.S.-based small businesses use Facebook as their primary digital advertising channel in 2025.

Percent of Social Media Marketers Using Paid Ads by Platform

• Facebook Ads dominate with 93% of social media marketers leveraging the platform for paid campaigns.
• Instagram Ads are used by 24% of marketers, second, but significantly lower than Facebook.
• LinkedIn Ads (16%) and Twitter Ads (15%) show moderate adoption among marketers.
• YouTube Ads trail behind with 11% usage.
• Pinterest Ads are used by just 3% of marketers.
• Snapchat Ads rank lowest with only 1% adoption.

Facebook Retargeting

• Retargeting ads on Facebook deliver a conversion rate of 11.4%, nearly double that of prospecting campaigns.
• Dynamic retargeting campaigns using Meta Pixel see 38% higher ROAS compared to static retargeting.
• Cart abandoners targeted with Facebook ads return to purchase within 48 hours in 26% of cases.
• Retargeting with video ads increases CTR by 32.5% versus image-only formats.
• Multi-touch retargeting campaigns (using email + Facebook) see a 17.8% increase in attribution efficiency.
• Retargeting custom audiences segmented by time-on-site results in 5.1x ROAS on average.
• In 2025, 65% of advertisers allocate at least 30% of their ad budget to retargeting strategies.
• The cost-per-retargeted-impression dropped by 9.4% in 2025 due to better AI optimization.
• Facebook’s Conversions API (CAPI) improved retargeting accuracy by 14.6%, especially post-cookie updates.

Facebook Ad Performance Compared to Other Platforms

• Facebook ads average a 5.3x ROAS, outperforming Instagram (4.8x) and TikTok (3.6x) in 2025.
• YouTube ads report a view-through rate of 26%, slightly lower than Facebook’s 29%.
• LinkedIn ads have a higher CPC at $6.10, compared to Facebook’s $1.05, making Facebook more cost-efficient for broader campaigns.
• Facebook’s CTR stands at 1.61%, slightly ahead of Instagram’s 1.53%, and significantly above Twitter/X’s 0.94%.
• Pinterest ads see a lower conversion rate of 3.8%, while Facebook maintains a platform-wide average of 9.1%.
• Snapchat campaigns have the lowest engagement per dollar spent, with a $1.43 CPC, nearly 40% higher than Facebook.
• Google Display Network has a broader reach but lower engagement, with a VTR of 15.4% vs. Facebook’s 29%.
• Facebook leads in ad automation efficiency, with 82% of campaigns using Advantage+ or automated placements, compared to 63% on Google Ads.

Best-Performing Audience Sizes on Facebook (According to Marketers)

• 42.9% of marketers report their best results come from audiences of more than 50,000.
• 31.4% see optimal performance with audiences under 10,000.
• 25.7% achieve the best outcomes from audience sizes between 10,000 and 50,000.

This shows that larger audience segments tend to perform better, but smaller, niche groups also deliver strong results for a significant portion of marketers.

Privacy Changes and Their Impact on Facebook Ads

• After Apple’s ATT rollout, Facebook ad tracking recovered to 91.3% accuracy in 2025, thanks to enhanced CAPI integrations.
• Meta’s Privacy Center reports 35% fewer tracking restrictions from user opt-outs compared to 2023.
• Retargeting pool sizes have rebounded by 18% since Q1 2024 due to enhanced modeled conversions.
• First-party data use in Facebook ad campaigns has increased by 47%, driven by CRM integration tools.
• Meta introduced AI-Powered Privacy Models, reducing data loss by 22% in campaigns requiring behavioral targeting.
• Lookalike audiences have expanded with improved AI modeling, resulting in a 19.7% increase in match rate.
• Advertisers using the Conversions API report 16.4% higher attribution confidence than those relying on Pixel alone.
• Campaigns relying only on cookie-based tracking show a 23% higher cost per acquisition, highlighting the shift toward first-party and server-side data.
• User-reported ad relevance scores remain high, with an average of 4.2 out of 5, indicating trust hasn’t eroded despite privacy changes.

AI and Automation Trends in Facebook Advertising

• In 2025, 82% of Facebook advertisers use Meta’s Advantage+ automation suite for campaign management.
• Campaigns powered by AI bidding strategies experience 27% higher ROAS compared to manual campaigns.
• Creative automation tools helped brands produce 45% more ad variations with the same production time.
• AI-driven targeting tools increased click-through rates by 33.2%, particularly in niche e-commerce.
• Predictive analytics within Meta’s ad manager recommends campaign adjustments every 72 hours, improving performance agility.
• ChatGPT-powered copywriting integrations within Facebook Ad Manager are now used by 1 in 4 marketers.
• AI-optimized videos using dynamic scene switching lead to 21% longer average watch times.
• Advertisers using Meta’s Creative AI tools for copy and layout generation saw a 15.6% reduction in ad fatigue rates.
• Meta’s machine learning platform reduced campaign setup time by 46%, allowing faster market testing and scaling.

Recent Developments in Facebook Ad Policies and Metrics

• Meta launched Transparent Ad Metrics v3.0, offering advertisers access to real-time audience overlap data in 2025.
• Ads targeting minors now face stricter creative guidelines, with enforcement leading to a 3.1% ad rejection rate for policy violations.
• Ad Library reporting now includes AI-generated insights on competitor campaign frequency and estimated spend.
• Political ad regulations tightened globally, with mandatory verification in 72 countries, impacting campaign launch times.
• Advertisers can now track incremental lift and holdout performance directly within Ads Manager, improving budget allocation.
• Meta expanded branded content tools, requiring sponsored disclosure tags on influencer-partnered content by default.
• Health-related ads must now pass data usage compliance checks, which has increased ad approval time by 18%.
• The “Why Am I Seeing This Ad?” feature expanded to include ad performance scoring, offering transparency for users and advertisers alike.
• New AI-generated ad scoring evaluates creative effectiveness in real time, giving instant feedback on scroll-stopping potential.

Conclusion

As of 2025, Facebook ads remain a pillar of digital marketing success, especially for businesses prioritizing reach, data-driven targeting, and performance clarity. With smarter AI tools, evolving privacy safeguards, and global scale, Facebook offers advertisers unparalleled control and visibility in their campaigns. The data tells a clear story—this isn’t just a legacy platform, it’s a living, adaptive engine for growth.

From small startups to enterprise brands, Facebook’s advertising ecosystem continues to deliver measurable impact and ROI in a rapidly changing digital world.

Sources

• https://www.statista.com/topics/1559/facebook-marketing/
• https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/
• https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/02/28/facebook-advertising-benchmarks
• https://datareportal.com/essential-facebook-stats
• https://backlinko.com/facebook-ads-stats
• https://www.webfx.com/blog/social-media/facebook-statistics/
• https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/facebook-advertising-statistics/
• https://www.socialpilot.co/facebook-marketing/facebook-statistics

ABOUT AUTHOR

by Barry Elad