“Is my NPS score good?” It’s the question every CX professional asks—and the answer is always the same: it depends on your industry.
An NPS of 35 would be exceptional in telecommunications but disappointing in insurance. A score of 50 might signal success for a SaaS company but mediocrity for a consulting firm. Without industry context, your NPS is just a number.
This guide provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date NPS benchmarks available—drawn from analysis of 10,000+ companies across 25+ industries using data from Qualtrics XM Institute, CustomerGauge, Retently, and other authoritative sources. Whether you’re setting targets, reporting to leadership, or evaluating your competitive position, these benchmarks give you the context you need.
How to Use This Guide
Before diving into the numbers, understand what you’re looking at:
Important caveats:
- Benchmarks are averages—top performers in any industry significantly exceed these numbers
- Methodology varies—different studies use different sampling approaches
- Context matters—transactional NPS differs from relationship NPS
- Your trend matters more—consistent improvement beats a single benchmark comparison
The 2026 NPS Industry Landscape
The overall picture for 2026 shows clear patterns: digital disruptors outperform incumbents, B2C beats B2B, and customer expectations continue rising faster than most companies can adapt.
Industry Performance Spectrum
Key 2026 Statistics
Complete NPS Benchmarks by Industry
Top-Performing Industries (NPS 55+)
These industries consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences, driven by high-touch service models, digital innovation, or strong relationship management.
| Industry | 2026 NPS | YoY Change | B2B/B2C | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance | 80 | +3 | B2C | Claims simplification |
| Fintech | 80 | +5 | B2C | Digital-native design |
| Consulting | 76 | 0 | B2B | Relationship depth |
| Financial Services | 75 | +2 | B2C | Personalized advisory |
| Technology & Services | 66 | +5 | B2B | Implementation success |
| Manufacturing | 65 | +3 | B2B | Supply chain reliability |
| Healthcare | 61 | +7 | B2C | Patient experience focus |
| Retail & E-commerce | 59 | +6 | B2C | Omnichannel convenience |
| Utilities | 58 | +1 | B2C | Reliability + billing clarity |
What Top Performers Have in Common
Mid-Range Industries (NPS 35-54)
These industries face structural challenges—competitive pressure, commoditization, or complex service delivery—that make achieving high NPS more difficult.
| Industry | 2026 NPS | YoY Change | B2B/B2C | Primary Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Electronics | 52 | -2 | B2C | Support complexity |
| Property Management | 52 | +1 | B2B | Tenant relationships |
| Professional Services | 50 | 0 | B2B | Billable hour model |
| Hospitality & Hotels | 44 | -3 | B2C | Labor cost pressure |
| Education | 42 | +2 | B2C | Outcome variability |
| B2B Software & SaaS | 41 | +1 | B2B | Implementation friction |
| Banking & Credit Unions | 41 | +4 | B2C | Digital catch-up |
| Automotive | 41 | +2 | B2C | Supply recovery |
| Logistics & Transportation | 40 | 0 | B2B | Service consistency |
| Media & Entertainment | 40 | -1 | B2B | Content relevance |
| Big Box Retail | 37 | -1 | B2C | Price vs. experience tradeoff |
| Cloud & Hosting | 37 | +14 | B2B | Reliability improvements |
| Wholesale | 36 | -8 | B2B | Supply chain disruption |
The SaaS NPS Reality
SaaS deserves special attention given its importance in the technology sector. The 41 average NPS for B2B SaaS masks enormous variation:
Lower-Performing Industries (NPS Under 35)
These industries struggle with structural issues—regulatory burden, legacy systems, pricing complexity, or commoditized offerings.
| Industry | 2026 NPS | YoY Change | B2B/B2C | Root Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Marketplaces | 35 | +2 | B2C | Trust issues |
| Construction | 34 | -23 | B2B | Project delays, cost overruns |
| Airlines | 33 | +1 | B2C | Pricing perception |
| Streaming Media | 32 | -2 | B2C | Content fatigue |
| Software (General) | 30 | -1 | B2B | Feature bloat |
| Traditional Banking | 30 | -7 | B2C | Digital lag |
| Telecommunications | 31 | +2 | B2C | Pricing + service reliability |
| Internet Software & Services | 16 | +12 | B2B | Maturity improving |
| Car Rental | 16 | -1 | B2C | Pricing surprises |
The Fintech vs. Traditional Banking Gap
The starkest illustration of how digital transformation affects NPS:
B2B vs. B2C: The 11-Point Gap
One of the most consistent findings across all benchmark studies: B2C companies outperform B2B by an average of 11 NPS points.
Why B2C Scores Higher
- Lower switching costs — Easy to leave forces excellence
- Individual decision-making — Simpler purchase dynamics
- Emotional connection — Brand loyalty possible
- Immediate feedback loops — Quick iteration cycles
- Multiple stakeholders — Hard to satisfy everyone
- Complex implementations — More friction points
- Long sales cycles — Expectations build up
- Contractual lock-in — Less pressure to excel
B2B vs. B2C by Industry
| Industry | B2C NPS | B2B NPS | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 47 | 16 | 31 pts |
| Software | 47 | 29 | 18 pts |
| Healthcare | 61 | 45 | 16 pts |
| Financial Services | 75 | 62 | 13 pts |
| Technology | 66 | 56 | 10 pts |
| Retail | 59 | 52 | 7 pts |
| Manufacturing | N/A | 65 | — |
| Consulting | N/A | 76 | — |
The 31-point gap in Education is the largest observed—university students (B2C) rate their institutions far higher than corporate training buyers (B2B) rate education vendors.
Regional NPS Variations
Geography significantly impacts NPS expectations and rating behaviors.
Regional Scoring Tendencies
Skeptical of perfect scores
Higher expectations
Optimistic outlook
Generous raters
Why Europe Scores Lower
European customers aren’t necessarily less satisfied—they just rate differently:
- Cultural skepticism: Tendency to avoid extreme ratings (9s and 10s)
- Privacy awareness: GDPR has made customers more cautious about sharing positive opinions
- Higher baseline expectations: Strong consumer protection creates higher standards
- Rating scale interpretation: “8” often means “excellent” in European context
Practical implication: A European NPS of 30 often indicates similar satisfaction to a North American NPS of 45.
Year-Over-Year Trends (2024-2026)
The Declining Satisfaction Trend
Despite companies investing more in CX, 10 of 11 major industries saw NPS decline between 2024-2026. Customer expectations are rising faster than experience improvements.
What’s Driving the Changes
Industries improving share common factors:
- Investment in cloud infrastructure and reliability
- AI-powered personalization
- Digital self-service options
- Proactive issue resolution
Industries declining share different patterns:
- Labor cost inflation (3.5% annually) squeezing service quality
- Supply chain disruption creating fulfillment failures
- Rising customer expectations outpacing improvements
- Legacy system constraints preventing adaptation
Industry Deep Dives
Software & SaaS
The software industry shows the widest NPS variance—from -10 to 75+. What separates leaders from laggards?
| Tier | NPS Range | Characteristics | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| World-Class | 60-75 | Intuitive UX, fast onboarding, proactive support | Notion, Figma, Canva |
| Strong | 45-59 | Good product, responsive support | Slack, Zoom, HubSpot |
| Average | 30-44 | Functional but friction points | Most enterprise software |
| Struggling | 15-29 | Complex implementations, poor support | Legacy vendors |
| Critical | <15 | Feature bloat, poor reliability | Declining platforms |
SaaS NPS drivers (in order of impact):
- Ease of implementation — Time to value matters most
- Support quality — Fast, competent responses
- Product reliability — Uptime and performance
- Feature relevance — Solving actual problems
- Price-value perception — Worth the investment
Healthcare
Healthcare’s +7 point improvement is notable given the industry’s inherent challenges.
| Healthcare Segment | 2026 NPS | Trend | Key Factors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telehealth | 68 | +5 | Convenience, access |
| Specialty Care | 65 | +3 | Expertise, outcomes |
| Primary Care | 58 | +2 | Relationship continuity |
| Hospital Inpatient | 52 | +4 | Communication improvement |
| Emergency Services | 45 | +1 | Wait time reduction |
| Insurance/Payers | 38 | +2 | Digital claims processing |
Why healthcare is improving:
- Telehealth normalized after 2020-2022 pandemic response
- Patient portal adoption reducing administrative friction
- Appointment scheduling technology
- Proactive health reminders and follow-ups
Retail & E-commerce
The retail landscape shows clear winners and losers:
| Retail Category | 2026 NPS | Change | Leader Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialty Retail | 62 | +3 | Apple Stores (72) |
| Online Marketplace | 58 | +2 | Amazon (56) |
| Department Stores | 45 | -2 | Nordstrom (51) |
| Grocery | 41 | +1 | Costco (79), Trader Joe’s (68) |
| Big Box | 37 | -3 | Target (42), Walmart (31) |
| Discount | 32 | -1 | Dollar stores |
The Costco phenomenon: Costco’s 79 NPS defies category averages, proving that membership models with clear value propositions can achieve exceptional loyalty even in commodity categories.
What Drives NPS Higher (and Lower)
Analysis across 10,000+ companies reveals consistent patterns.
Factors That Increase NPS
Factors That Decrease NPS
| Factor | NPS Impact | Industries Most Affected |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing surprises | -15 to -25 | Car rental, telecom, airlines |
| Long wait times | -10 to -20 | Healthcare, telecom, banking |
| Poor digital experience | -8 to -15 | Traditional banking, insurance |
| Inconsistent service | -10 to -15 | Hospitality, retail |
| Complex processes | -5 to -12 | Insurance claims, B2B software |
| Impersonal interactions | -5 to -10 | Healthcare, financial services |
Setting Your NPS Target
Generic targets don’t work. Use this framework to set meaningful goals.
Target Setting Framework
41 (industry) + 12 (top quartile) + 0 (region) = Target NPS: 53
Tiered Target Approach
Instead of a single number, set three tiers:
| Tier | Definition | Your Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Viable | Industry average | ”We’re not falling behind” |
| Target | Industry +10-15 | ”We’re competing on experience” |
| Aspirational | Industry +20-25 | ”We’re setting the standard” |
Converting NPS to Business Outcomes
NPS isn’t just a score—it predicts revenue.
The Revenue Connection
Research from Bain & Company and CustomerGauge consistently shows:
| Customer Type | Revenue Behavior |
|---|---|
| Promoters (9-10) | 2x more likely to repurchase, 4-5x referral likelihood |
| Passives (7-8) | At risk of switching, moderate lifetime value |
| Detractors (0-6) | 3x more likely to churn, negative word-of-mouth |
NPS Impact Calculator
How to Measure NPS Accurately
Benchmarking requires consistent methodology. Here’s how to get reliable data.
Sample Size Requirements
| Desired Precision | Sample Needed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Within ±10 NPS points | ~1,000 responses | Standard benchmark comparison |
| Within ±5 NPS points | ~4,000 responses | Trend analysis |
| Segment-level analysis | 300+ per segment | Compare by product, region, etc. |
Critical insight: NPS requires roughly 2x the sample size of simpler metrics like CSAT. The three-bucket calculation (promoters, passives, detractors) introduces more statistical variance.
Survey Channel Impact
Different channels produce different scores:
| Channel | NPS Impact | Response Rate |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | +5-8 points | 15-25% |
| Baseline | 10-20% | |
| In-app | +2-4 points | 5-15% |
| Post-call | -2-5 points | 40-60% |
| Website popup | -3-6 points | 1-5% |
Why this matters: If you’re benchmarking against industry data collected primarily via email, your SMS-collected NPS will appear artificially high. Normalize for channel.
Survey Timing Best Practices
| Timing | Best For | NPS Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately post-interaction | Transactional feedback | Higher (recency bias) |
| 24-48 hours post-interaction | Considered opinion | Most accurate |
| Quarterly relationship | Overall sentiment | Lower (includes dormant issues) |
| Random sampling | Unbiased snapshot | Most representative |
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a “good” NPS score?
The universal answer: Above 0 is positive, above 30 is good, above 50 is excellent, above 70 is world-class. The practical answer: Good means better than your industry average and improving over time. A 35 NPS in telecom (industry average: 31) is better performance than a 45 in insurance (industry average: 80).
Why is my industry’s NPS so low compared to others?
Several structural factors depress NPS:
- High complexity: More things to go wrong (construction, enterprise software)
- Regulatory constraints: Limited ability to innovate (healthcare, banking)
- Price sensitivity: Customers rating value, not experience (telecom, airlines)
- Low switching costs: Easy to try alternatives increases criticism (streaming, SaaS)
Don’t try to match different industries—focus on leading your own.
How often should I benchmark?
- Internal tracking: Monthly or quarterly
- Industry benchmarking: Annually (industry data updates slowly)
- Competitive benchmarking: When data becomes available
Should I compare transactional and relationship NPS?
No—they measure different things:
- Transactional NPS (post-interaction): Measures specific experience quality
- Relationship NPS (periodic): Measures overall brand perception
Industry benchmarks typically reflect relationship NPS. Compare like with like.
How do I improve NPS without gaming the metric?
Focus on drivers, not the score:
- Identify what promoters love and do more of it
- Find what creates detractors and fix those issues
- Close the loop with every detractor personally
- Empower frontline teams to resolve issues without escalation
- Make it easy to do business with you
The score improves as a consequence of better experiences, not as a goal in itself.
Is NPS still relevant in 2026?
NPS remains the most widely used CX metric despite criticism. While some organizations supplement with Customer Effort Score (CES) or satisfaction metrics, NPS’s simplicity and benchmarkability keep it standard. The key is using it as one signal among many, not as the only metric that matters.
Using Benchmarks Strategically
Benchmarks are tools for context, not targets to chase blindly.
What Benchmarks Can Tell You
- Whether you’re competitive in your industry
- Where to focus improvement efforts
- How regional and segment differences compare
- Whether your CX investments are working
What Benchmarks Cannot Tell You
- Why customers feel the way they do
- What specific actions will improve scores
- Whether your survey methodology is sound
- How individual customer segments compare to benchmarks
The Right Approach
The Bottom Line
NPS benchmarks provide essential context for understanding your customer experience performance. The data is clear:
- Industry matters enormously: A 64-point spread exists between best and worst-performing industries
- B2C outperforms B2B by 11 points: Lower switching costs force excellence
- Regional differences are real: European scores run 10-15 points below North American averages
- Digital leaders win: Fintech beats traditional banking by 50 points
- The trend matters most: 10 of 11 industries saw NPS decline despite increased CX investment
Use these benchmarks to set realistic targets, understand competitive dynamics, and identify improvement opportunities. But remember: your customers don’t care about benchmarks. They care about how you make them feel.
Start Measuring NPS the Right Way
Understanding where you stand is just the beginning. ActionXM helps companies measure, analyze, and act on NPS data with AI-powered insights that identify exactly what’s driving your scores up or down.
Take action on your NPS:
Need help setting NPS benchmarks for your industry? Contact us for a custom analysis based on your specific market position.
Sources
- Qualtrics XM Institute - NPS Benchmark Study 2024
- CustomerGauge - NPS Benchmarks Database
- Retently - Good Net Promoter Score 2025
- Survicate - NPS Benchmarks 2025
- Merren CX - NPS Benchmarks 2025
- NPS Prism - Industry Benchmark Reports
- QuestionPro - 30+ NPS Benchmarks
- SurveySensum - NPS by Industry Study
- The CX Lead - Good NPS Score Guide
- Sybill - NPS Scores 2026 Benchmarks
- CustomerGauge - NPS Impact on Revenue
- Trustmary - NPS by Industry
- FullView - NPS Benchmarks 2025
- MeasuringU - Statistical Analysis of NPS
- Bain & Company - The Economics of Loyalty
