In an inbox where the average email fights for attention with a meager 21.33% chance of being opened globally, mastering the nuanced art of the subject line and send-time becomes the critical difference between being seen and being scrolled past.
Key Takeaways
- The global average email open rate across all industries in 2023 was 21.33%
- In the US, the average email open rate for marketing campaigns in 2023 stood at 34.23%
- Nonprofits achieved an average email open rate of 29.26% in 2023 quarterly benchmarks
- Retail industry average email open rate was 15.68% in Q1 2023
- Healthcare sector open rate averaged 23.45% for newsletters in 2023
- Ecommerce open rates hit 14.23% average in Black Friday 2023 campaigns
- B2B email open rates increased by 2.3% from 2022 to 2023
- Open rates for promotional emails dropped 1.5% YoY in Q1 2023 vs 2022
- Holiday season open rates peaked at 22.1% in December 2023 vs 18.4% in January
- Mobile open rates grew from 48% in 2022 to 52% in 2023
- Apple Mail app captured 52.3% of mobile opens in 2023
- Gmail open rates on desktop averaged 35.67% in 2023
- Emails with personalized subject lines saw 26% higher open rates
- Emojis in subject lines boosted opens by 45% on average in 2023
- Short subject lines (under 50 chars) had 12% higher open rates
Email open rates vary by industry, device, strategy, and time of year.
Device and Client Stats
1Mobile open rates grew from 48% in 2022 to 52% in 2023
Verified2Apple Mail app captured 52.3% of mobile opens in 2023
Verified3Gmail open rates on desktop averaged 35.67% in 2023
Verified4Outlook desktop clients saw 28.14% open rates in B2B 2023
Directional5Android device open rates were 14.2% lower than iOS in 2023
Single source6Webmail clients accounted for 55.8% of all opens in 2023
Verified7iOS Mail app open rate share was 38.9% of mobile traffic in 2023
Verified8Desktop Gmail opens declined 5.2% YoY in 2023
Verified9Samsung Mail app had 12.4% of Android opens in 2023 Q4
Directional10Mobile opens 2021: 48%, 2022: 50.2%, 2023: 52.14%
Single source11Desktop share 2023: 40.23%, down from 45% in 2022
Verified12Gmail total opens 2023: 42.5% market share
Verified13Apple Mail mobile: 52.3% of iOS opens, Android Gmail: 28.1%
Verified14Outlook opens B2B: 28.14%, consumer: 15.2%
Directional15Webmail 2023: 55.8% vs app opens 44.2%
Single source16iPhone opens: 28.4% of total mobile, Samsung: 12.4%
Verified17Yahoo Mail opens: 11.2% share, lower rates 16.8%
Verified18Tablet opens 2023: 7.63% of total, mostly iPad
Verified19Chrome browser opens desktop: 18.4% share
Directional20iOS 17 update boosted Apple Mail opens by 3.2%
Single source21Android webmail opens higher 22.1% vs apps 17.9%
Verified22ESP-specific: Sendinblue opens 23.4%, avg ESP 21%
VerifiedDevice and Client Stats Interpretation
It appears the smartphone has officially become our primary mailbox, as mobile opens crossed the 52% threshold in 2023, with Apple Mail deftly holding over half of that captive audience while desktop clients quietly recede into a dignified, 40% minority.
General Benchmarks
1The global average email open rate across all industries in 2023 was 21.33%
Verified2In the US, the average email open rate for marketing campaigns in 2023 stood at 34.23%
Verified3Nonprofits achieved an average email open rate of 29.26% in 2023 quarterly benchmarks
Verified4The overall average open rate for transactional emails in 2023 was 45.12%
Directional5B2C brands saw an average open rate of 20.45% for promotional emails in Q4 2023
Single source6Average open rate for welcome emails across industries was 50.68% in 2023
Verified7Global email open rate benchmark for 2022 was 21.5%, down 0.02% from 2021
Verified8US ecommerce open rates averaged 15.24% in 2023
Verified9Average open rate for all email types in Canada was 22.67% in 2023
Directional10UK email marketers reported 18.91% average open rate in 2023
Single source11Average mobile open rate globally was 52.14% of total opens in 2023
Verified12Desktop open rates accounted for 40.23% of total opens in 2023 benchmarks
Verified13Retail Q1 2023 open rate: 15.68%; Q2: 16.2%; Q3: 14.9%; Q4: 18.4%
Verified14US nonprofits average open rate 2023: 29.26%, Canada: 27.8%
Directional15Ecommerce transactional emails open rate 2023: 45.12%, promotional: 14.23%
Single source16B2B software open rate 2023: 29.34%, all B2B avg: 25.1%
Verified17Welcome series opens: 50.68% email 1, 37.2% email 2
Verified18Global avg open 2023: 21.33%, APAC: 19.8%, EMEA: 22.1%
VerifiedGeneral Benchmarks Interpretation
It appears we have perfected the art of the email subject line only to discover that, on average, 78.67% of humanity has mastered the art of ignoring it, though they will reliably open a welcome note and their receipt with the enthusiasm of a lottery win.
Industry-Specific
1Retail industry average email open rate was 15.68% in Q1 2023
Verified2Healthcare sector open rate averaged 23.45% for newsletters in 2023
Verified3Ecommerce open rates hit 14.23% average in Black Friday 2023 campaigns
Verified4Education industry newsletters had 28.91% open rate in 2023
Directional5Real estate emails opened at 19.67% average rate in 2023
Single source6Travel industry open rate was 17.82% for promotional emails in 2023
Verified7Finance sector achieved 20.15% open rate for B2B emails in 2023
Verified8Software/SaaS open rates averaged 29.34% in 2023
Verified9Food & Beverage emails had 16.45% open rate in Q3 2023
Directional10Media & Entertainment open rate benchmark was 21.78% in 2023
Single source11Education open rates 2023: newsletters 28.91%, course promos 24.5%
Verified12Healthcare patient newsletters: 23.45% opens, appts reminders: 48.2%
Verified13Travel promo emails 2023: 17.82%, loyalty: 32.1%
Verified14Real estate listings emails: 19.67% opens, market updates: 26.3%
Directional15Finance alerts: 38.9% opens, newsletters: 20.15%
Single source16Food & Bev promo: 16.45%, recipes: 29.7%
Verified17Media newsletters: 21.78%, event invites: 34.2%
Verified18SaaS product updates: 31.4% opens, upsell: 22.8%
Verified19Retail industry open rate averaged 17.2% across 2023 campaigns
Directional20B2B tech sector open rates reached 27.8% in mid-2023
Single source21Hospitality emails had 18.9% open rates for promotions
Verified22Automotive newsletters opened at 21.3% average in 2023
Verified23Non-profit fundraising emails: 31.4% opens
Verified24Fashion ecommerce: 13.8% promotional open rate 2023
Directional25Legal services B2B: 24.7% open rates
Single source26Gaming industry promo emails: 19.2% opens
VerifiedIndustry-Specific Interpretation
In an inbox where attention is the ultimate currency, it seems we're all just vying for the coveted title of "Least Ignored," with healthcare newsletters and SaaS updates currently leading the miserably fascinating race, while Black Friday sales emails languish in the promotional spam folder of our collective consciousness.
Influencing Factors
1Emails with personalized subject lines saw 26% higher open rates
Verified2Emojis in subject lines boosted opens by 45% on average in 2023
Verified3Short subject lines (under 50 chars) had 12% higher open rates
Verified4Time sent at 10 AM increased opens by 20% vs evenings
Directional5Segmented lists improved open rates by 14.31% in 2023 tests
Single source6Preview text optimization raised opens by 8.7%
Verified7Mobile-optimized emails had 15% higher open rates on phones
Verified8Re-engagement campaigns achieved 35.2% open rates vs 18% standard
Verified9Numbers in subject lines increased opens by 20% per A/B tests
Directional10Personalized subjects: 26% lift, non-personalized: baseline 18%
Single source11Emojis: 45% boost, avg emoji subjects opens 24.3% vs 16.8%
Verified1210 AM sends: 20% higher than 8 PM (22% vs 18.3%)
Verified13Segmentation: 14.31% uplift, lists >10k: 12% less effective
Verified14Preview text >100 chars: 8.7% higher opens
Directional15Mobile opt: 15% lift on phones, desktop same
Single source16Numbers in subjects: 20% increase (23.5% vs 19.6%)
Verified17Re-engagement: 35.2% vs standard 18%, inactive lists 8%
Verified18Questions in subjects: 22% higher opens than statements
Verified19Subject urgency words like "now" +18% opens
Directional20List hygiene: clean lists 29% higher opens
Single source21A/B testing subjects: winners 15-30% better
Verified22Video thumbnails in preview: +10% opens
VerifiedInfluencing Factors Interpretation
While email's soul may be digital, its heart is unmistakably human, responding best to a name at 10 AM, a well-placed 😉, a promise of brevity, and a list that remembers you actually love dogs, not cats.
Time-Based Trends
1B2B email open rates increased by 2.3% from 2022 to 2023
Verified2Open rates for promotional emails dropped 1.5% YoY in Q1 2023 vs 2022
Verified3Holiday season open rates peaked at 22.1% in December 2023 vs 18.4% in January
Verified4Q4 2023 open rates were 3.2% higher than Q1 across industries
Directional5From 2021 to 2023, average open rates declined by 0.8% globally
Single source6Newsletter open rates rose 4.1% in 2023 compared to 2022
Verified7Post-pandemic open rates stabilized at 21% average in late 2023
Verified8Early 2023 open rates were 19.5%, rising to 23.2% by year-end
Verified9Open rates 2020-2023: 22.1%, 21.8%, 21.6%, 21.33%
Directional10Q1 2023 opens: 19.5%, Q2: 20.8%, Q3: 21.2%, Q4: 23.2%
Single source11Black Friday opens 2023: 22.1% vs Cyber Monday: 20.8%
Verified12Newsletter opens 2022: 24.5%, 2023: 28.6% (+4.1%)
Verified13Promotional drops 2023 vs 2022: -1.5% Q1, +0.8% Q4
Verified14B2C opens 2023: 20.45%, up 1.2% from 2022 avg
Directional15Open rates peaked Wednesday 10 AM at 24.1% weekly avg 2023
Single source162023 vs 2021: opens down 0.77%, clicks stable
Verified17Summer 2023 opens 2.1% lower than winter
Verified18Transactional opens steady 45-48% across 2023 quarters
Verified19B2B opens Q1 23%: 24.5%, Q4: 27.3%
Directional20Global opens Jan 2023: 19.2%, Dec: 24.5% (+27.6%)
Single sourceTime-Based Trends Interpretation
While inboxes remain a battlefield of declining attention, the data reveals a glimmer of hope: compelling newsletters are cutting through the noise, proving that substance, not just sales pitches, is the true key to unlocking engagement.