Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry: 2026 Data for 28 Industries

Why Industry-Specific Benchmarks Matter

The average email open rate in 2026 is 40–44%. The average click rate is 2.0–2.5%. Those numbers are useless on their own.

An ecommerce store with a 35% open rate is outperforming its peers. A non-profit with the same 35% is underperforming by 17 percentage points. Comparing yourself to the overall average will either give you false confidence or unnecessary panic.

This guide breaks down open rates, click rates, CTOR, and unsubscribe rates for 28 industries — with context on why each industry's numbers are what they are, and what "good" actually looks like in your sector.

A note on open rate inflation: Apple Mail Privacy Protection (launched 2021) pre-loads tracking pixels, making every email appear "opened." This affects roughly 64% of Apple Mail users. Open rates across every industry are inflated. Click rate is the ground-truth engagement metric. When in doubt, trust clicks over opens.

All data is sourced from MailerLite (2025 Benchmark Report), Moosend (2026 Benchmarks), ActiveCampaign (2026 Benchmarks), and HubSpot. Where sources disagree, I've noted the range.

Ecommerce

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Ecommerce consistently lands at the bottom of both open and click rate tables. That's not because ecommerce email is broken — it's structural.

Online stores tend to have the largest lists, the highest send frequency, and the broadest audience segments. A fashion retailer blasting a weekly promo to 50,000 subscribers will naturally get lower engagement percentages than a pottery instructor emailing 800 enthusiasts. Volume dilutes percentages.

The low bounce and unsubscribe rates tell a different story: ecommerce lists are well-maintained (most platforms auto-clean after purchases), and people don't actively unsubscribe from stores they've bought from — they just stop opening.

Where the real money is: Automated flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, browse abandonment) outperform campaign blasts by 30x on revenue per email according to Omnisend data. If your click rate on campaigns is low but your automations convert, you're doing it right. For ecommerce email, Klaviyo ($20/mo starting, 7.5/10) and Omnisend ($16/mo starting, 7.1/10) are purpose-built for this use case.

Non-Profit

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Non-profits consistently rank in the top 3 for both open and click rates. The reason is simple: people who subscribe to non-profit emails care about the cause. These aren't passive "signed up for a discount" subscribers — they opted in because the mission matters to them.

The higher bounce rate (1.63% vs ecommerce's 0.19%) reflects a different list management reality. Non-profits often have older lists, collect emails at events, and may not clean inactive subscribers as aggressively as commercial senders.

Non-profit-specific tip: Storytelling emails with a single, specific ask outperform multi-CTA newsletters. "Help fund Maria's classroom" beats "Here's everything we did this month" every time. MailerLite ($10/mo starting, 7.5/10) is the most popular platform for non-profits due to its non-profit discount and simplicity.

Software & SaaS

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Software and SaaS sits in the bottom third for both open and click rates. The 1.15% click rate is notable — only ecommerce is lower. This reflects two realities: SaaS companies often email their full user base (including inactive free-tier users), and product update emails frequently lack a compelling reason to click.

The low bounce rate (0.65%) indicates clean lists — SaaS companies typically collect emails through account creation, which validates the address. The low unsubscribe rate means people tolerate the emails even if they don't engage.

SaaS-specific insight: The companies with the highest click rates in SaaS segment by user behaviour, not demographics. Emails triggered by in-app actions (feature usage, plan limits, onboarding milestones) consistently outperform scheduled broadcasts. ActiveCampaign ($19/mo starting, 7.4/10) is the strongest choice for SaaS companies due to its CRM, lead scoring, and automation depth.

Education

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Education performs solidly above the overall average on both metrics. The audience — students, parents, educators, course participants — has a built-in reason to open: grades, schedules, course updates, and learning content are inherently relevant.

The very low unsubscribe rate (0.15%) is the second-lowest across all industries, reflecting the institutional relationship. People don't unsubscribe from their university or course provider the way they might from a clothing brand.

Education-specific tip: Course providers and online education businesses that send lesson-completion triggers and progress updates see 3–4x higher click rates than those sending weekly newsletters. MailerLite and Kit ($33/mo starting, 7.2/10) are both strong fits — MailerLite for cost, Kit for course creators with digital products to sell.

Health & Fitness

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Health and fitness has a revealing split: above-average open rates but below-average click rates. People open these emails because they care about their health goals. They don't click because the emails often lack a specific action beyond "read this article."

The higher unsubscribe rate (0.29% vs the ~0.20% average) reflects the seasonal nature of fitness interest. January sign-ups who lose motivation by March drive a natural churn cycle.

Health & fitness insight: Personalised workout or nutrition recommendations drive the highest click rates in this sector. Generic "5 tips for better sleep" emails get opened but not clicked. MailerLite and Brevo ($9/mo starting, 7.3/10) are both cost-effective choices — though health-niche senders should note MailerLite's strict account approval policy can be harder to pass in wellness verticals.

Consulting & Professional Services

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Consulting sits comfortably above average on both open and click rates. These are typically B2B audiences — small list sizes, high relevance, and subscribers who opted in for expertise rather than discounts. The combination produces strong engagement.

The slightly elevated bounce rate (0.88%) reflects professional email churn — job changes, company domain switches, and business closures affect B2B lists more than consumer lists.

Consulting insight: The highest-performing consulting newsletters include one specific, actionable takeaway per email rather than multiple links. Case study emails with a "see how we did it" CTA consistently outperform roundup-style newsletters. ActiveCampaign ($19/mo starting, 7.4/10) is the best fit for consultants due to its built-in CRM and pipeline management.

Authors, Writers & Creators

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, Moosend 2026 Benchmarks

Writers and creators enjoy the lowest unsubscribe rate of any industry (0.10%) and above-average click rates. This audience subscribes because they're fans. They want the content. They don't leave.

The open rate sits near the overall average (43.14%), which might seem low for such an engaged audience. This is largely an Apple MPP artefact — creator audiences skew heavily toward Apple devices, which inflates opens across the board but also means the "true" open rate is harder to measure than in other sectors.

Creator insight: The personal, conversational email style outperforms polished marketing templates in this sector. Readers subscribed for your voice, not your design. Kit ($33/mo starting, 7.2/10) and beehiiv ($43/mo starting, 7.0/10) are the go-to platforms — Kit for creators selling digital products, beehiiv for newsletter publishers monetising through ads and paid subscriptions.

Marketing & Advertising

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks

Marketers emailing marketers is a tough game. The audience is sophisticated, sceptical, and drowning in email. A 36.50% open rate — the second-lowest after ecommerce — reflects inbox competition, not poor execution.

The irony: the people best equipped to write good emails are also the hardest to impress with good emails. The 1.87% click rate is below the cross-industry average because marketing professionals evaluate CTAs with a critical eye.

Marketing sector insight: Data-driven content with original research outperforms opinion pieces in this niche. Marketers click on benchmarks, case studies with real numbers, and contrarian takes backed by evidence. The newsletter-style format (think Morning Brew for marketers) works better than product-pitch emails.

Religion & Spirituality

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Religion and spirituality tops the open rate chart at 55.71% and has the lowest unsubscribe rate of any tracked industry (0.08%). This is the most engaged audience in email marketing.

The reason is straightforward: these subscribers are connected to a community. A church newsletter, a meditation teacher's weekly reflection, a spiritual practice community — these emails come from people and organisations that matter personally to the recipient. It's not marketing. It's communication within a relationship.

Platform note: MailerLite ($10/mo starting, 7.5/10) is the most common platform in this sector due to its simplicity and affordability. The free plan covers 1,000 subscribers, which serves many smaller organisations.

Hobbies & Crafts

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Hobbies and crafts ranks second for open rates and delivers the highest click rate outside of legal and manufacturing. Low bounce, low unsubscribe. This is a dream audience for email marketing.

Why? Hobbyists opted in because they're passionate. A quilting newsletter, a woodworking tutorial series, a model train community — these emails are content the subscriber actively wants. There's no inbox fatigue because the topic itself is a source of joy, not obligation.

Platform note: MailerLite and Kit are both strong here. MailerLite for straightforward newsletters at the lowest cost. Kit for hobby creators selling patterns, courses, or digital products.

Legal

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Legal has the highest click rate of any tracked industry at 4.90% — and a CTOR of 14.72% that tells you nearly 1 in 7 people who open a legal email clicks something. That's extraordinary by any standard.

The reason comes down to audience specificity. Legal firms and legal professionals email tightly defined audiences: clients with active matters, colleagues tracking regulatory changes, newsletter subscribers who explicitly want case law updates. There's no casual subscribe in legal email. The people on these lists are there because they need the information.

The 0.09% unsubscribe rate is the second-lowest across all 28 industries. Once someone is on a law firm's list, they stay — typically because the relationship is professional, the content is genuinely useful, and nobody wants to miss a compliance deadline.

Platform note: ActiveCampaign handles the CRM integration that legal teams need for client follow-ups. MailerLite works for smaller practices running informational newsletters without complex automation.

Manufacturing

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 29.07% open, 3.28% click

Manufacturing has the highest CTOR across all tracked industries at 14.82%, meaning almost 1 in 7 people who open a manufacturing email clicks something. The click rate of 4.22% is second only to legal.

Moosend's numbers are lower (29.07% open, 3.28% click), which reflects different sample composition — MailerLite likely captures more small-to-mid manufacturers while Moosend skews toward larger enterprise senders. Both sources agree: manufacturing email punches well above its weight on clicks.

The 0.30% unsubscribe rate is elevated compared to most industries, reflecting the B2B nature of manufacturing lists. People change jobs, companies restructure, and procurement contacts turn over. That churn is normal, not a sign of content failure.

Platform note: ActiveCampaign is the strongest fit for manufacturing companies with complex B2B sales cycles. For distributor newsletters and supplier updates, MailerLite handles the basics at minimal cost.

Media & Publishing

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 43.16% open, 7.32% click

ActiveCampaign reports a 7.32% click rate for media — nearly double MailerLite's 4.10%. This gap is almost certainly a measurement issue: ActiveCampaign likely counts clicks per email sent differently, or their media sample skews toward highly engaged newsletter publishers. Take the 4.10% as the more conservative floor; the truth is somewhere between.

What both sources agree on: media and publishing email performs well. The 0.10% unsubscribe rate — tied with legal for second-lowest — reflects a fundamental dynamic. People who subscribe to a newsletter, magazine, or publication are subscribers. They signed up for content. They don't leave the way they leave a promotional list.

Platform note: Kit and beehiiv are purpose-built for newsletter publishers monetising content. MailerLite works for media companies that want straightforward broadcast at lower cost without monetisation features.

Construction

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 38.24% open, 2.96% click

Construction has consistent numbers across both data sources: Moosend's 38.24%/2.96% and MailerLite's 39.95%/3.53% are close enough to give real confidence in these figures. A 12.38% CTOR means more than 1 in 8 people who open a construction email clicks something.

The audience explains this. Construction email is almost entirely B2B — contractors, suppliers, project managers, developers. These lists are small, deliberately curated, and full of people who want the information: bid alerts, material price updates, project timelines, regulatory changes. Nobody signs up for a construction newsletter out of idle curiosity.

The 0.27% unsubscribe rate reflects typical B2B contact churn: business closures, staff changes, project completions ending the relationship.

Platform note: ActiveCampaign handles project-based follow-up sequences well. For subcontractors and sole traders sending simple project updates, MailerLite is more than sufficient.

Blogging

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Bloggers have a quiet advantage: their subscribers are readers. Not customers, not leads — readers. Someone who subscribes to a blog newsletter explicitly wants to hear from that person. The 43.03% open rate and 3.00% click rate reflect that intentional audience.

The 8.56% CTOR is middle-of-the-pack, which makes sense for the format. Blog newsletters typically link to full articles — some readers are satisfied by the preview and don't click through. That's not a failure; it's a reading pattern.

The 0.16% unsubscribe rate is below average, consistent with other passion-driven content categories. Readers who like a blogger's writing don't leave.

Platform note: MailerLite and Kit dominate the blogger space. MailerLite for cost-conscious bloggers on the free plan (up to 1,000 subscribers). Kit once you have a digital product or paid newsletter to sell.

Government

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 38.36% open, 2.95% click

The 10-point gap between MailerLite (48.52%) and Moosend (38.36%) for government open rates is notable. MailerLite's sample likely includes local government agencies and public sector organisations with small, captive audiences — residents who signed up for bin collection alerts or council updates open those emails because they affect their daily lives. Moosend's sample may include larger federal/national government sends with more passive subscribers.

Click rates are actually consistent: MailerLite 3.05% vs Moosend 2.95%. That agreement gives confidence in the click figure even if the open rates diverge.

Government email benefits from institutional trust. People don't unsubscribe from their local council's newsletter — even if they only open it when something affects them directly.

Platform note: Government organisations often use Mailchimp due to procurement processes and brand familiarity. MailerLite is increasingly common for local government, particularly outside the US.

Medical & Healthcare

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 41.48% open, 5.64% click; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 33.99% open, 2.52% click

Three sources, three different click rates: MailerLite 2.25%, Moosend 2.52%, ActiveCampaign 5.64%. The MailerLite and Moosend figures are close enough to trust. ActiveCampaign's 5.64% is almost certainly measuring CTOR rather than click rate — the discrepancy is too large to be explained by sample differences alone.

Healthcare email performs solidly. The audience — patients, healthcare professionals, wellness subscribers — has a personal stake in the content. A 7.31% CTOR is respectable for informational email where many readers don't need to click to consume the content.

The 0.20% unsubscribe rate is average, but healthcare lists face a real compliance burden. HIPAA in the US restricts what patient communication can contain. This limits personalisation and segmentation in ways that suppress click rates below what the audience engagement would otherwise support.

Platform note: HIPAA compliance is a hard constraint. ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp both offer Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) on higher-tier plans. Verify BAA availability before choosing any platform for patient communication.

Real Estate

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 39.87% open, 5.42% click; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 31.15% open, 2.08% click

MailerLite and ActiveCampaign agree on open rates (40.37% vs 39.87%) — that's a strong consensus. The click rate divergence (1.72% vs 5.42%) is the same ActiveCampaign pattern seen in healthcare: they're measuring something closer to CTOR. MailerLite's 1.72% is the conservative click rate.

Moosend's lower numbers (31.15% open) suggest their real estate sample skews toward larger brokerages with broader, less engaged lists. For independent agents and smaller agencies, MailerLite's figures are the better reference.

Real estate email is a passive engagement category. Buyers and renters subscribe for market updates, new listings, and price drops. They open when it's relevant (they're actively searching) and ignore it when it's not. The 6.72% CTOR means those who do open and click are genuinely interested.

Platform note: ActiveCampaign handles drip sequences for long-consideration buyer journeys. MailerLite is the cost-effective choice for independent agents managing small contact lists.

Financial Services & Insurance

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report (Insurance); ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 37.74% open, 4.40% click; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks (Business & Finance): 35.13% open, 2.21% click

Financial services has the most unusual metric split in this dataset: a 44.40% open rate paired with a 3.19% CTOR — one of the lowest across all industries. People open these emails and don't click. That's not engagement; that's habit mixed with caution.

Financial audiences open emails to scan for urgency (rate changes, account alerts, renewal deadlines). If there's nothing time-sensitive, they close without clicking. The 1.36% click rate is low because most financial email is informational, not action-oriented.

The 0.27% unsubscribe rate is above average, reflecting the volume of marketing email financial services companies send — cross-sell campaigns for insurance products generate churn from customers who only wanted a savings account.

ActiveCampaign's 4.40% click rate is again likely CTOR, not click rate. Moosend's 2.21% is more plausible but still high compared to MailerLite's 1.36% — the difference may reflect Moosend's business finance segment including more B2B financial services where click rates are genuinely higher.

Platform note: Regulated industries face strict email compliance requirements. ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp both handle compliance-heavy environments better than newer platforms. Verify CAN-SPAM and any sector-specific regulatory requirements before platform selection.

Travel & Hospitality

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 40.87% open, 5.28% click

Travel has the lowest open rate of any industry at 30.10% — lower than ecommerce's 32.67%. The reasons are structural. Travel brands send high-volume promotional emails (flash sales, destination deals) to large lists. Open rates on promotional-heavy lists drop naturally as subscribers get conditioned to ignore everything that isn't directly relevant to a trip they're planning right now.

The 6.34% CTOR is actually decent, meaning people who do open are genuinely browsing travel content. The extremely low 0.13% unsubscribe rate suggests people stay subscribed for when they do plan a trip — they're passive most of the time but don't leave.

ActiveCampaign's 40.87% open rate is dramatically higher than MailerLite's 30.10%. This gap likely reflects platform mix — AC's travel segment may include more luxury and boutique hospitality brands with tighter, more engaged lists than the mass-market travel brands dominating MailerLite's dataset.

Platform note: Klaviyo handles post-booking automation and guest journey sequences well for hospitality brands. MailerLite is cost-effective for smaller travel operators and tour companies.

Retail (Non-Ecommerce)

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 29.10% open, 2.04% click

Brick-and-mortar retail and non-ecommerce retail sits between ecommerce and the B2B categories on most metrics. The 37.47% open rate and 1.27% click rate indicate an audience that has a passive relationship with the brand — they're customers, not fans.

Moosend's lower open rate (29.10%) likely reflects their sample capturing more large retail chains with broad, high-volume lists. MailerLite's sample probably skews toward independent retailers with smaller, more personal lists.

The 4.51% CTOR is telling: the people who open are interested, but getting them to open is the hard part. This pattern suggests retail email audiences scan their inboxes and skip most emails unless they catch something relevant in the subject line.

Platform note: Klaviyo handles in-store to online cross-sell sequences and loyalty program email well. Mailchimp remains common for smaller retailers due to familiarity, though its value relative to cost has declined.

Restaurants & Food Service

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report (Agriculture & Food Services: 45.51% open rate as reference)

Restaurants and food service have a strong open rate but the second-lowest click rate across all industries. People open food emails — a weekly menu update, a special event announcement, a seasonal promotion — but don't click because the email itself often contains all the information they need. "Tuesday night half-price pasta" doesn't require a click to act on.

The 0.39% unsubscribe rate is the highest of any industry. Food service sends frequently (often weekly), and subscribers who stop visiting a restaurant don't stay subscribed for long. The combination of high send frequency and relationship-dependent relevance creates natural churn.

The 3.28% CTOR is one of the lowest across industries, consistent with the open-but-don't-click pattern. When links are included (online ordering, reservations), they pull the CTOR up; when emails are purely informational, CTOR sits near zero.

Platform note: Mailchimp is widely used in food service due to its ease of use and recognition. For restaurants running loyalty programmes, ActiveCampaign handles triggered emails (birthday offers, visit-based rewards) better.

Sports & Recreation

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Sports and recreation has a confusing profile: a 47.69% open rate — above average — but a 1.27% click rate that sits near the bottom of the dataset. The CTOR of 3.35% is also low. People are opening these emails but not clicking.

The pattern is consistent with scheduled and event-driven audiences. Gym members open schedule updates to check class times but don't need to click. Sports club members open fixture announcements but the information is in the email itself. High open, low click is the natural outcome when email primarily delivers information rather than driving action.

The 0.16% unsubscribe rate is low, confirming the audience wants to receive these emails. They're genuinely useful, just not click-driving by design.

Platform note: MailerLite handles sports club and recreation centre newsletters well. For facilities managing bookings and class registrations via email, look for platforms that integrate with booking software.

Beauty & Personal Care

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Beauty and personal care has the lowest click rate outside of ecommerce at 0.95%. This sits below 1% despite a 38.40% open rate, meaning many subscribers open without clicking.

Beauty is one of the most competitive email categories by volume. Brands in this space send frequently, compete with dozens of similar brands in the same inbox, and often rely on product imagery that looks good but doesn't compel a click without a specific offer attached. The 3.91% CTOR means when subscribers do click, the email content delivered on its promise — but getting them there is the challenge.

The 0.23% unsubscribe rate is average, suggesting lists are managed acceptably but not exceptionally.

Platform note: Klaviyo is the strongest choice for beauty brands with Shopify stores — its product browse and purchase segmentation drives click rates well above the category average. MailerLite works for smaller beauty businesses without ecommerce integration needs.

Recruitment & Staffing

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Recruitment and staffing has a solid 45.26% open rate driven by the inherently urgent nature of job-related email. People who subscribed for job alerts, candidate updates, or hiring news have a stake in the information. A missed job alert matters in a way a missed promotional email never does.

The 1.68% click rate is moderate given the open rate, suggesting that some recruitment email is informational (market reports, salary guides) where readers consume content without needing to click. Job alert emails that link directly to application pages would push this figure higher.

The 0.24% unsubscribe rate is below average, consistent with an audience that actively wants to maintain the relationship until they're placed or have filled the role.

Platform note: ActiveCampaign handles the candidate journey workflow well — nurture sequences, interview reminders, and placement follow-ups. For simpler job alert newsletters, MailerLite covers the basics.

Games & Gaming

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report

Gaming email performs better than most people assume. A 41.35% open rate puts it near the overall average, and a 9.71% CTOR is genuinely strong — almost 1 in 10 people who open a gaming email clicks something.

The audience dynamic is straightforward: gamers who subscribe to game update emails, indie studio newsletters, or gaming platform notifications are enthusiasts. They're not passive subscribers; they're waiting for news about games they care about. Launch announcements, patch notes, and early access invitations all drive clicks because the content is exactly what subscribers signed up for.

The 2.11% click rate is decent but lower than the CTOR suggests it could be, which means open rates have some passive component — subscribers who open out of habit but don't always click.

Platform note: MailerLite and Kit are both used in the indie game developer community. For larger gaming platforms managing millions of subscribers, custom ESP integrations are more common than off-the-shelf tools.

Online Courses & Coaching

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report (Online Courses: 43.10% open, 1.39% click, 5.23% CTOR, 0.23% unsub; Coaching: 48.07% open, 1.42% click, 4.90% CTOR, 0.30% unsub — figures averaged); ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks: 39.06% open, 6.38% click

MailerLite splits this into two categories. Coaching (48.07% open) outperforms Online Courses (43.10% open), reflecting the more personal relationship between a coach and their list. Both are averaged here since the audiences and product types overlap significantly.

ActiveCampaign's 6.38% click rate for this category is almost certainly CTOR again, not click rate. MailerLite's 1.41% is the floor estimate.

The moderate click rate (1.41%) despite a strong open rate is consistent with course-and-coaching content patterns: welcome sequences, lesson drips, and course updates are read for information rather than clicked. CTAs to upsell, enroll, or book a call drive clicks; lesson recaps don't.

Platform note: Kit is the platform of choice for online course creators and coaches — its tag-based segmentation, course integrations, and digital product sales tools are purpose-built for this use case. MailerLite is the cost-effective alternative for creators who don't need Kit's advanced features.

Telecommunications

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report; Moosend 2026 Benchmarks: 27.84% open, 2.78% click

MailerLite's 37.21% open rate and Moosend's 27.84% reflect very different sender types. Moosend's sample likely captures large telcos sending transactional and promotional emails to millions of subscribers — open rates on that scale naturally compress. MailerLite's sample probably includes smaller telecoms, MVNOs, and service providers with tighter lists.

Telecommunications has the highest unsubscribe rate of any industry at 0.34%. This is consistent with how telecom email is used: it's primarily transactional (bills, plan changes, service alerts) with promotional email layered on top. When customers change provider or the promotion isn't relevant, they unsubscribe rather than tolerate ongoing emails.

The 4.54% CTOR is below average, reflecting the transactional nature. People open billing emails and plan notifications, scan the information, and close without clicking.

Platform note: Large telcos typically use enterprise ESPs with custom integration. Smaller telecoms and MVNOs find ActiveCampaign handles customer lifecycle sequences well; Mailchimp for simpler bulk sends.

Complete Benchmark Comparison Table

Here's every industry side by side for quick reference, sorted by open rate:

Sources: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report (3.6M campaigns, 181K accounts), Moosend 2026 Benchmarks, ActiveCampaign 2026 Benchmarks. CTOR data from MailerLite only; dash (—) indicates not reported in source data for existing sections.

The takeaway: Always benchmark against your own industry. A 35% open rate is terrible for a non-profit and excellent for travel. A 1.5% click rate is poor for legal and strong for beauty. Context is everything.

Regional Benchmarks: How Geography Affects Your Numbers

Industry isn't the only variable that moves your benchmarks. Where your subscribers are located shifts open rates and click rates significantly.

MailerLite's 2025 data across 181K accounts shows clear regional differences:

Source: MailerLite 2025 Benchmark Report (3.6M campaigns)

Why regions differ:

Australia leads on open rates (47.69%), which reflects a combination of high smartphone penetration, strong consumer trust in email communication, and the Apple MPP effect — Australian users are heavy Apple device users, which inflates tracked opens.

Europe's strong open rate (45.08%) is partly an artifact of GDPR. Subscriber lists in Europe are more deliberately opt-in: because consent requirements are stricter, European lists tend to contain fewer passive subscribers. Smaller, cleaner lists produce higher engagement percentages.

US & Canada (44.49%) sits near the European figure for similar reasons — CAN-SPAM and CASL create some friction to list growth that keeps overall quality higher than markets without comparable regulations.

Africa (36.53% open, 2.29% click) shows an interesting pattern: lower open rate but a click rate that matches or exceeds Europe and North America. This suggests that in African markets, email opens are more intentional — fewer people are reflexively opening every email, but those who do are more engaged with the content.

LATAM (31.97%) and Asia (32.54%) have the lowest open rates. Both regions have large mobile-first email audiences where inbox management habits differ from Western markets. Higher email volumes, different spam filtering standards, and stronger competition from messaging apps (WhatsApp in LATAM, WeChat in Asia) all suppress open rates.

Practical implication: If your list is primarily LATAM or Asian-based, comparing your open rates to North American or European benchmarks will make your performance look worse than it is. Always find the regional equivalent for your benchmark comparison.

How to Use Industry Benchmarks Without Losing Your Mind

Benchmarks are reference points, not report cards. Here's how to use this data productively:

1. Find your industry, then look at your own trend line. If you're in consulting at a 40% open rate, you know you're below the 45.96% average. But if you were at 35% six months ago, you're trending in the right direction. Progress matters more than position.

2. Click rate is your north star. Open rates are directionally useful but inflated by Apple MPP. Click rate tells you whether people actually engage with your content. If your click rate is above your industry average, your emails are working regardless of what your open rate says.

3. CTOR tells you whether your content matches your subject line. A high open rate with a low CTOR means your subject lines are good but your email body isn't delivering. A low open rate with a high CTOR means your subject lines are weak but your content is strong. Fix the metric that's dragging.

4. Don't chase benchmarks from other industries. A SaaS company will never match a quilting newsletter's engagement rates. That's not failure — it's a different business model with different audience dynamics.

5. Use the numbers to diagnose, not to despair. If your click rate is half the industry average, your content or CTAs need work. If your unsubscribe rate is 3x the industry average, your send frequency or list quality needs attention. Benchmarks tell you where to investigate, not what to feel.

6. Segment before you compare. Your overall metrics might hide strong performance in one segment and weak performance in another. Compare your welcome sequence click rate to the industry average, then your promotional campaigns separately. Aggregated metrics can be misleading.

For the complete picture on how these benchmarks fit with ROI data, send timing, and overall email marketing trends, see our main benchmarks overview.