Email Marketing Benchmarks 2026
Average email marketing benchmarks for open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate across 12 industries. Updated Q1 2026.
Email Marketing performance overview
| Metric | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open rate | 21.5% | 14.5% | 29.2% | 40%+ |
| CTR (click-through rate) | 2.3% | 1.2% | 3.9% | 6%+ |
| Click-to-open rate | 10.7% | 6.0% | 16.4% | 25%+ |
| Unsubscribe rate | 0.10% | 0.05% | 0.20% | <0.05% |
| CVR (conversion rate) | 1.8% | 0.8% | 3.2% | 5%+ |
Open rate by industry
| Industry | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofit | 26.6% | 18.2% | 36.0% |
| Education | 25.7% | 17.5% | 35.0% |
| Healthcare | 23.7% | 16.1% | 32.3% |
| Financial Services | 21.8% | 14.8% | 29.7% |
| SaaS | 21.3% | 14.4% | 29.0% |
| Ecommerce | 18.4% | 12.4% | 25.1% |
| Home Services | 20.1% | 13.6% | 27.4% |
| Legal | 22.0% | 14.9% | 30.0% |
| Real Estate | 19.2% | 13.0% | 26.1% |
| Automotive | 18.8% | 12.7% | 25.6% |
| Insurance | 22.4% | 15.2% | 30.5% |
| Dental | 24.1% | 16.4% | 32.8% |
How Benchmarketing reads Email Marketing benchmarks
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method. The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Where the numbers come from. The figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset — thousands of curated benchmark observations across channels, industries, and US metro areas. Every statistic traces to a named source: WordStream Google Ads Benchmarks (2024), Meta Business Insights (2024), HubSpot Email Marketing Report (2024), Unbounce Conversion Benchmark Report (2024), Databox Marketing Benchmark Report (2024), AdLiftr Snapchat Ads Cost Benchmarks (2026), Ad Badger Amazon Advertising Benchmarks (2026). Benchmarketing does not publish anonymous "studies show" figures.
The Benchmarketing position. Beating the cross-industry average for Email Marketing is a vanity milestone, not a target. Compare your number to the P25–P75 band for your specific industry and channel; if you are above average but below your industry's P75, you are leaving performance on the table.