Growth metrics guide
Email Marketing Benchmarks
Email is repeatedly cited as one of the highest-ROI channels in marketing — but the headline benchmarks come with a big asterisk since 2021. Here is how to read them without being misled.
Email marketing benchmarks are among the most-searched numbers in marketing — and among the most misunderstood, because a major measurement change in 2021 broke the most common metric. This guide gives commonly-cited ranges for open, click, and conversion rates, the famous ROI figure, and the caveats that matter.
The email ROI figure everyone quotes
The widely-repeated claim that email returns roughly $36 for every $1 spent comes from Litmus (its 2019 State of Email research). Other bodies cite different figures — the UK's DMA (Data & Marketing Association) has quoted returns in the region of £35–£42 per £1 — so a fair summary is that email ROI is commonly cited in the range of roughly $30–$45 per $1, among the highest of any channel. Treat this as an industry range that depends entirely on list quality and offer, not a number your campaign will automatically hit. You can model your own return with the email ROI calculator.
Open rates — and the Apple MPP asterisk
Before 2021, average open rates across industries were commonly cited around 15%–25% (for example, Mailchimp's long-published benchmark averages). Then in September 2021, Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) began pre-loading images for Apple Mail users, which registers as an "open" whether or not the recipient actually opened the message. This has inflated reported open rates and made them unreliable as a precise measure.
The practical implications:
- Post-MPP open rates often appear higher (frequently cited in the 30%–45% range for many senders) but are not comparable to pre-2021 figures.
- Open rate is now best used as a rough trend, not an absolute truth — and no longer as a reliable A/B test metric for subject lines.
- Click-based metrics have become the more trustworthy signals of engagement.
Click-through and click-to-open rates
Click-through rate (CTR — clicks ÷ delivered) is commonly cited in the low single digits, often around 1%–3% across industries, varying widely by type of email (a transactional or triggered email typically far outperforms a broadcast newsletter). Click-to-open rate (CTOR — clicks ÷ opens) is more affected by the MPP distortion above, so lean on raw CTR for reliable comparisons.
Conversion rate and revenue per email
Conversion (the share of recipients who take the desired action) depends entirely on the offer and audience, but segmented, triggered, and automated flows consistently outperform one-off broadcasts by a wide margin across published benchmarks. Rather than chase an industry conversion average, model your own funnel — list size, open, click, conversion, and average order value — in the email ROI calculator, and compare campaigns against each other.
How to read email benchmarks responsibly
- Segment by industry and email type. A blended average hides enormous variation.
- Distrust open rate as an absolute. Post-MPP it is a directional trend at best.
- Prioritize list quality over list size. A smaller engaged list beats a large stale one on nearly every metric — and protects deliverability.
- Tie it back to economics. Email's value is in retention and LTV; a channel that re-engages existing customers cheaply improves your LTV:CAC ratio. For where email sits in the journey, see AARRR.
Sources & caveats
- Litmus, 2019 State of Email — the widely-cited ~$36-per-$1 email ROI figure. Verify the current figure; more recent editions may differ.
- DMA (Data & Marketing Association, UK) — email ROI estimates in the £35–£42 per £1 region in various editions.
- Apple, Mail Privacy Protection (introduced September 2021) — the cause of post-2021 open-rate inflation.
- Mailchimp, Email Marketing Benchmarks — historical open/click averages by industry (largely pre-MPP). Ranges above are educational, not guarantees.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ROI of email marketing?
The most-quoted figure is about $36 for every $1 spent, from Litmus's 2019 State of Email; the UK DMA has cited roughly £35–£42 per £1. A fair range is about $30–$45 per $1. It is an industry range that depends on list quality and offer, not a guaranteed return.
What is a good email open rate?
Historically around 15–25%, but Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (from September 2021) inflates reported opens, so post-2021 figures often look higher (roughly 30–45% for many senders) and are not comparable to older data. Treat open rate as a rough trend, not an absolute.
Why are my open rates suddenly higher?
Most likely Apple Mail Privacy Protection, which pre-loads email images for Apple Mail users and registers an 'open' whether or not the recipient actually read the message. This inflates open rates and makes them unreliable, especially for subject-line A/B tests.
What is a good email click-through rate?
CTR (clicks ÷ delivered) is commonly cited in the low single digits, often around 1–3%, varying widely by email type — triggered and transactional emails typically outperform broadcast newsletters. Because it is unaffected by open-rate inflation, CTR is a more reliable comparison metric than open rate.