Tracking metrics is essential to achieving success in your email marketing campaigns. By comparing your own data against industry benchmarks provided by MailChimp, Constant Contact, MailerLite, and Brevo, you can uncover exactly where you need to focus to improve ROI.
The Key Email Metrics to Track & What They Mean
When it comes to tracking what is and isn’t working for your email campaigns, it’s important to know which email metrics matter most — and what they mean. Here’s a look at four of the most valuable tracking points, as well as what they tell you.
Open Rate
Your email open rate is a very basic email metric, and in many ways it forms the foundation for all the others by measuring how many of your emails are actually opened by recipients.
A good open rate depends a lot on what industry you’re in, but according to Mailchimp, the average across industries is between 35% and 36%.
Click Rate
Your click rate (also referred to as your email click-through rate) is a measure of how many people clicked on a link in your email compared to the total numbers of emails that were delivered. This metric is not the same metric as your click-to-open rate (CTOR), which is a measure of how many people clicked a link inside your email divided by the number of people who opened your email.
Unsubscribe Rate
The email unsubscribe rate metric measures how many people on your email list have actively chosen to unsubscribe so that they no longer receive your emails. It’s calculated by dividing the number of recipients who choose to unsubscribe by the number of emails delivered.
Bounce Rate
Your email bounce rate is a measure of the number of emails that never reached their intended recipients divided by the number of emails sent. A high bounce rate is problematic, because it means your emails aren’t even getting into your prospect’s inbox. High bounce rates can also negatively affect overall email deliverability and tank sender reputation, too.
There are two types of email bounces: hard and soft. A soft bounce usually results from a temporary problem that’s typically not your fault, like a full inbox. A hard bounce is due to something more serious, such as an incorrect email address or domain name.
Key Benchmarks for 2025: Average Email Metrics by Industry
Many companies and organizations use one of the email marketing platforms listed below. These email automation platforms make it easier to monitor campaign performance for individual campaigns and for email marketing as a whole. We’ve gathered the email data provided by the platforms below to provide you with more accurate industry averages. The email providers include:
A Breakdown of Open Rates & Click Rates by Industry
When determining the standard of your email marketing performance, pay attention to averages related to your industry — especially when it comes to email open rates and click rates. Here’s a breakdown of those statistics according to four of the most popular email marketing automation platforms.
Occasionally, an email vendor lacks data related to a particular industry. Those instances are indicated with a “–” symbol.
Open Rate | |||||
Industry | Mailchimp | Constant Contact | Brevo | MailerLite | Average Across All Vendors |
Beauty & Personal Care | 31.89% | 38.72% | 25.20% | 41.46% | 34.32% |
Business & Finance | 31.35% | 34.79% | 24.35% | 39.48% | 32.49% |
Computers & Electronics | 26.98% | – | 31.35% | 45.65% | 34.66% |
Consulting | 29.61% | 30.85% | 26.25% | 39.09% | 31.45% |
Dining & Food Services | 40.03% | 32.54% | – | 43.56% | 38.71% |
Education | 35.64% | 39.50% | 22.40% | 44.04% | 35.39% |
Government & Politics | 38.33% | – | 28.40% | 44.67% | 37.13% |
Health & Fitness | 37.07% | 38.26% | 25.85% | 42.70% | 35.97% |
Home & Garden | 35.69% | 38.83% | 20.50% | 41.94% | 34.24% |
Insurance | 30.08% | – | 36.25% | 48.11% | 38.15% |
Legal | 31.40% | 33.24% | – | 42.45% | 35.70% |
Manufacturing | 29.08 | 29.83% | 20.40% | 34.48% | 28.45% |
Marketing & Advertising | 29.71% | – | 38.10% | 33.62% | 33.81% |
Media & Publishing | 34.23% | – | 20.80% | 34.65% | 29.89% |
Nonprofit | 40.04% | 40.71% | 24.00% | 46.49% | 37.81% |
Real Estate | 35.38% | 33.75% | 27.40% | 40.10% | 34.16% |
Recruitment & Staffing | 32.40% | – | 25.90% | 44.50% | 34.27% |
Religion | 43.97% | 44.56% | 36.75% | 44.24% | 42.38% |
Retail | 35.05% | 33.80% | – | 41.24% | 36.70% |
Sports & Entertainment | 39.57% | 40.03% | 27.70% | 38.70% | 36.50% |
Technology/Software | 28.12% | 26.80% | 26.90% | 43.72% | 31.39% |
Telecommunications | 30.57% | – | 20.20% | 40.52% | 30.43% |
Travel | 33.25% | 32.22% | 23.60% | 40.31% | 32.35% |
Click Rate | |||||
Industry | Mailchimp | Constant Contact | Brevo | MailerLite | Average Across All Vendors |
Beauty & Personal Care | 1.3% | 0.86% | 1.39% | 2.09% | 1.41% |
Business & Finance | 2.78% | 2.48% | 1.29% | 1.10% | 1.91% |
Computers & Electronics | 2.19% | – | 1.45% | 2.04% | 1.89% |
Consulting | 2.92% | 2.48% | 1.27% | 2.37% | 2.26% |
Restaurants & Food Services | 1.58% | 0.81% | – | 1.75% | 1.38% |
Education | 3.02% | 2.33% | 1.26% | 2.69% | 2.33% |
Government & Politics | 3.60% | – | 1.66% | 4.25% | 3.17% |
Health & Fitness | 1.87% | 1.36% | 1.50% | 2.41% | 1.79% |
Home & Garden | 2.27% | 1.97% | 1.50% | 4.52% | 2.57% |
Insurance | 2.96% | – | 2.72% | 2.58% | 2.75% |
Legal | 3.14% | 2.54% | – | 2.06% | 2.58% |
Manufacturing | 2.83% | 2.75% | 1.27% | 4.37% | 2.81% |
Marketing & Advertising | 2.30% | – | 0.78% | 2.02% | 1.70% |
Media & Publishing | 4.37% | – | 1.58% | 3.08% | 3.01% |
Nonprofit | 3.27% | 2.33% | 1.49% | 3.78% | 2.72% |
Real Estate | 2.23% | 1.31% | 1.05% | 2.77% | 1.84% |
Recruitment & Staffing | 2.38% | – | 1.64% | 1.80% | 1.94% |
Religion | 3.04% | 2.60% | 2.11% | 5.11% | 3.22% |
Retail | 2.08% | 1.11% | – | 2.65% | 1.95% |
Sports & Entertainment | 2.60% | 1.08% | 1.19% | 3.10% | 1.99% |
Technology/Software | 2.39% | 2.65% | 1.09% | 1.00% | 1.78% |
Telecommunications | 3.19% | – | 1.24% | 4.89% | 3.11% |
Travel | 2.56% | 1.16% | 1.39% | 1.98% | 1.77% |
Average Unsubscribe and Bounce Rates Across All Industries
Average unsubscribe and bounce rates aren’t as industry specific as email open rates and email click rates. Because of this reality, comparing your own metrics against the overall averages will let you know how you measure up. Here’s a look at the averages for unsubscribe rates and bounce rates across MailChimp, Constant Contact, Brevo, and MailerLite, as well as the averages among all vendors.
Unsubscribe Rate | ||||
Mailchimp | Constant Contact | Brevo | MailerLite | Average Across All Vendors |
0.22% | <1%* | 0.05% | 0.24% | 0.38% |
Bounce Rate | ||||
Mailchimp | Constant Contact | Brevo | MailerLite | Average Across All Vendors |
0.46% | 10.39% | 1.72% | 0.41% | 3.25% |
Data sources: Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Brevo, MailerLite
*for most industries
Factors That Impact Unsubscribe & Bounce Rates
While overall averages around unsubscribe and bounce rates are pretty low, addressing both metrics in your own company can be beneficial. Here are some of the factors that influence unsubscribes and bounce rates.
Unsubscribe Rates
In most instances, tightening your email list by letting prospects and customers unsubscribe easily is a best practice. That being said, if your unsubscribe rates don’t drop over time, it may indicate a problem with your email marketing strategy.
Generally speaking, you want to aim for an average unsubscribe rate that’s less than 0.5%, with less than 0.2% being the gold standard. Here are some of the most common reasons why your unsubscribe rate might be higher than those industry standards:
You send too many emails: Be strategic about when you email and how often. Each industry is a bit different here, but in general, you don’t want recipients to feel harassed or overwhelmed by the amount of email they receive from you.
Your emails seem spammy: Most people’s email inboxes have a spam detector that will move perceived spam into a junk folder. Overly generalized subject lines and content can result in spam designations.
You didn’t get permission to email recipients: Never send anyone a general marketing email who hasn’t asked for it. In fact, to improve overall engagement rates and ensure your list is as vetted as possible, a double opt-in is preferable.
Your email addresses are outdated: Make sure you’re working with a clean and verified email list.
Your content is lacking: Digital marketing is far too prevalent in most people’s lives. Make sure you’re offering recipients relevant content that’s worth opening.
Bounce Rates
Whether you’re in healthcare, tech, or ecommerce, reducing your bounce rate will go a long way toward improving your email marketing’s effectiveness. While soft bounces are a reality that’s out of your hands, hard bounces need to be dealt with directly.
Here are two factors that contribute to hard bounces:
Inaccurate or non-existent email addresses: Having incorrect email addresses can be due to a number of things, including someone moving on from a company or job, account deactivation, or a simple typo.
The intended recipient’s email server has blocked delivery from your server: Once this happens, delivery attempts from your server are generally blocked for good in order to protect email deliverability and sender reputation.
Strategies to Improve Your Email Metrics
Improving email metrics isn’t rocket science. Here’s a closer look at the most common email metrics and reliable strategies that you can take to improve them.
Open Rate
Craft compelling subject lines: Use attention-grabbing, concise, and relevant subject lines to increase the likelihood of opens.
A/B test subject lines: Experiment with different approaches to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Schedule emails strategically: Optimize your send times and days of the week based on when your audience is most likely to engage.
Use a trustworthy sender name: Ensure your sender name is recognizable to establish trust and credibility.
Click Rate
Ensure flawless design functionality: Double-check that your emails load properly across mail clients, with working buttons, animations, and other features.
Make emails mobile-optimized: Design your emails to look great and function seamlessly on smaller screens to cater to mobile users.
Include a clear, actionable CTA: Provide an easy-to-find call-to-action and closing phrase that doesn’t cause confusion.
Deliver high-quality, engaging content: Avoid overly transactional emails by offering valuable, reader-focused content that stands out.
Leverage audience segmentation: Send tailored emails with content that aligns with the preferences and behaviors of specific audience segments.
Unsubscribe Rate
Use double opt-in subscriptions: Verify interest by requiring users to confirm their email sign-up, reducing unwanted recipients.
Offer segmented email options: Allow subscribers to choose the types or frequency of emails they receive.
Personalize content to add value: Use data to add personal touches that make your emails feel more relatable and engaging.
Avoid over-communication: Send fewer but more impactful emails to prevent frustrating your audience.
Focus on top-notch content quality: Ensure every email offers value, giving recipients a reason to stay subscribed.
Bounce Rate
Regularly clean your email list: Remove invalid, inactive, or outdated email addresses to maintain an accurate and responsive list.
Prioritize organic list growth: Build your email list through authentic opt-ins rather than purchasing addresses, which can lower quality.
Authenticate your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols: Use email authentication techniques to verify your emails are legitimately sent from your domain. This minimizes the risk of delivery issues caused by spam filters or email spoofing.
Use confirmation emails for sign-ups: Ask new subscribers to confirm their email address to reduce errors and fake entries.
Monitor bounce rates consistently: Keep track of your bounce rate and address any spikes promptly to maintain good email deliverability.
How NeverBounce Can Help Your Business
Want to generate more leads, make more sales, and achieve more effective email marketing? NeverBounce offers products and services that can improve your metrics, whether you work for an enterprise-level company, a startup, or a nonprofit:
Interested in learning more? Check out some of our customers’ success stories to find out if NeverBounce will work for you.