Definition
Email benchmarks are aggregated performance metrics that represent average or median email marketing results across companies, industries, or sending practices. They are compiled from two primary sources: aggregated platform data from ESPs such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor, and industry surveys conducted by research firms such as Litmus, HubSpot, and the DMA. Typical benchmarks include open rate (industry average 20-25%), click-through rate (2-5%), click-to-open rate (10-20%), bounce rate (1-3%), unsubscribe rate (0.1-0.5%), and spam complaint rate (target under 0.1%).
The limitations of email benchmarks are significant and frequently misunderstood. Platform-aggregated benchmarks suffer from self-selection bias — only customers of that platform are included, and sample sizes vary dramatically across industry categories. Survey-based benchmarks rely on self-reported data that is often inflated because underperforming senders are less likely to participate. A 2023 analysis by Litmus found that open rate benchmarks from different sources for the same industry varied by as much as 12 percentage points, calling into question the reliability of any single benchmark source.
Best Practices
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Compare against your own historical trends before industry benchmarks: Your own trailing 3-month and 12-month averages are more relevant performance indicators than any industry benchmark. Establish your internal baseline and flag any deviation of more than 10% from that baseline for investigation. Industry benchmarks are useful for context but should never override your own trend analysis when evaluating campaign performance.
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Segment benchmarks by relevant dimensions not just industry: Performance varies significantly by list segment, email type (newsletter vs promotional vs transactional), send frequency, and list source. An automated welcome sequence should not be benchmarked against a broadcast promotional campaign even within the same industry. Create segment-specific benchmarks by email type, engagement tier, and acquisition channel for meaningful internal comparison.
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Use multiple benchmark sources and look for convergence: No single benchmark source is authoritative. Consult 3-5 sources including Mailchimp's industry benchmarks, Litmus's State of Email report, HubSpot's marketing statistics, the DMA National Email report, and industry-specific publications. If multiple sources converge on a similar range for your industry, that range is more reliable than any single source.
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Benchmark against direct competitors when possible: Industry averages include companies of all sizes, maturities, and email maturity levels. If you can obtain competitor benchmarks through tools like Mailcharts (for retail) or anonymous industry groups, those comparisons are more relevant than broad industry averages. Competitor comparison is most meaningful for share of inbox metrics rather than engagement rates.
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Treat open rate benchmarks with caution post-Apple MPP: Since Apple's Mail Privacy Protection launched in September 2021, open rates have been artificially inflated by 5-15 percentage points across most industries because Apple Mail prefetches images. Click-through rate and click-to-open rate are now more reliable comparative metrics. Any benchmark comparison should note whether pre- or post-MPP data is being used.
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Review benchmarks quarterly not annually: Industry benchmarks shift throughout the year due to seasonal effects, algorithm changes, and privacy regulation developments. Quarterly review ensures you are comparing against current data rather than outdated figures. Bookmark your primary benchmark sources and schedule a 30-minute quarterly review with your team to assess where your metrics stand.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate is the percentage of emails that were rejected by the receiving server before reaching the recipient. It is a key indicator of list health and data quality.
Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of email recipients who clicked one or more links in your email campaign. It measures how compelling your content and call-to-action are.
Click-to-Convert Rate
Click-to-convert rate measures the percentage of email clicks that result in a desired conversion action such as a purchase, signup, or download. It shows how effective your post-click experience is at turning interest into results.
Click-to-Open Rate
Click-to-open rate (CTOR) is the percentage of email opens that resulted in at least one click. It measures how compelling your email content is for people who already opened it.
Conversion Rate
Email conversion rate is the percentage of delivered emails that resulted in a desired action such as a purchase, sign-up, or download. It measures how effectively your email campaign drives business results.
Frequently Asked Questions
For post-MPP data, a good open rate is 25-35% for most industries, with top performers exceeding 40%. Non-profit, education, and religious organisations tend to have the highest open rates (30-40%), while ecommerce and retail tend to be lower (15-25%). The most important benchmark is your own trailing 90-day average — if you maintain or improve that, you are performing well regardless of industry averages.
The most widely used sources are Mailchimp's industry benchmarks (updated annually, covering 45+ industries), Litmus's State of Email report (comprehensive, methodology-focused), the DMA National Email report (UK-focused, includes B2B and B2C), HubSpot's marketing statistics report (broad marketing KPIs including email), and Campaign Monitor's benchmarks. For the most reliable comparison, use 2-3 sources and look for convergence rather than relying on a single source.
Some do, some do not. Mailchimp's benchmarks include their entire customer base, which heavily skews toward small and medium businesses. Litmus and the DMA surveys tend to overrepresent enterprise senders. If you are a small business, Mailchimp's benchmarks may be more relevant. If an enterprise, Litmus's data is more applicable. Always check the methodology section to understand the sample composition.
Common reasons include list quality differences (purchased lists perform terribly), send frequency differences (daily senders have lower per-email engagement), industry classification differences (many companies are miscategorised), and Apple MPP inflation (pre-MPP benchmarks will show lower open rates). Additionally, the benchmark methodology — median vs mean, sender-weighted vs email-weighted — significantly affects the reported numbers.
Benchmarks are best used as context, not as targets. Present your metrics alongside industry benchmarks with the caveat that comparison is directional, not definitive. Frame the narrative around whether your trend is improving or declining relative to your own baseline, and use the benchmark to contextualise whether a gap is within normal range or requires attention.