A 20% click rate is exceptional for a mass promotional email. It's mediocre for a triggered transactional email to a list of 50 people. Context is everything in email benchmarks. This week we provide industry-segmented baselines.
This Week’s Lesson
Note: these benchmarks reflect 2025 industry averages adjusted for Apple MPP. Open rates are included for reference but should be interpreted with caution given MPP inflation.
B2B (SaaS, Technology, Professional Services): Open rate ~35-45% (MPP-inflated). Click rate: 2.5-4.5%. Unsubscribe rate per send: 0.1-0.2%. Bounce rate: 0.5-1%. Spam complaint rate: below 0.05%.
B2C (E-commerce, Retail): Open rate ~25-40% (MPP-inflated). Click rate: 1.5-3%. Unsubscribe rate per send: 0.2-0.5%. Bounce rate: 0.3-0.8%. Revenue per email: $0.10-$0.30 (promotional), $0.50-$2.00+ (triggered/transactional).
Healthcare & Financial Services: Open rate ~30-50%. Click rate: 2-3.5%. Lower unsubscribe rates due to higher relevance. Very low tolerance for spam complaints — these industries are heavily regulated, making list quality and consent critical.
Nonprofit & Education: Open rate ~35-50%. Click rate: 2.5-4%. Often the highest engagement rates of any sector because subscribers have genuine affinity for the mission.
What to do with benchmarks: if you're significantly above benchmark, find out why and systematize it. If you're below, use it as a conversation starter: where in the funnel is the gap (opens vs. clicks vs. conversions)? What's the most different thing about the competitors who are outperforming you?