19 Lead Generation Statistics You Shouldn’t Ignore in 2025

Marketers dedicate a huge amount of time and budget to lead generation because it’s the first step in building a pipeline of paying customers. But generating high-quality leads is getting harder as competition increases and buyers become more selective.

With the shift toward digital channels and AI-powered tools, businesses need to know which tactics are delivering results and which ones no longer work. The right data can help shape smarter campaigns, better budgets, and stronger ROI.

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most important lead generation statistics in 2025, highlighting trends across channels, conversion rates, and buyer behaviors so you can refine your strategy with confidence.

How we collected this data

We reviewed recent studies, surveys, and reports from trusted sources including HubSpot, Demand Gen Report, Statista, and LinkedIn. The data reflects the latest benchmarks on B2B and B2C lead generation performance globally.

Key lead generation statistics

1. The average cost per organic lead in B2B SaaS is $164, in eCommerce $83, and in IT/managed services $385. [First Page Sage]
2. Businesses using data-driven lead generation strategies achieve 5–8X higher ROI. [Pardot]
3. 79% of sales leaders say sales enablement content is essential for closing deals. [Pardot]
4. 43% of marketers spend 50% or more of their budget on lead generation. [Pardot]
5. The lead generation industry is expected to reach a value of $3.6B by 2027. [Pardot]
6. Wednesday is the best day to send outreach emails. [Backlinko]
7. 91.5% of outreach emails are ignored. [Backlinko]
8. Only 8.5% of outreach emails receive a response. [Backlinko]
9. Outreach emails with long subject lines see a 24.6% higher average response rate than short subject lines. [Backlinko]
10. 56% of leads are not ready to buy yet. [Pardot]
11. Desktop PPC campaigns saw a 2,600% increase in conversion rates from Q4 to Q1 of 2024-2025. [Pardot]
12. Conversions across desktop social campaigns increased by 62%. [Pardot]
13. Marketers increased their spend on social campaigns by 80%. [Pardot]
14. Lead generation and conversions through search engines rose by 19%. [Pardot]
15. Companies that excel at lead nurturing bring 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost. [Pardot]
16. 35% of B2B marketers have established a lead nurturing strategy. [Pardot]
17. 59% of marketers say creating relevant content is their top challenge in lead nurturing. [Pardot]
18. Content marketing generates 3X more leads than outbound marketing at less than half the cost. [Demand Metric]
19. 22% of CEOs and CMOs cite lead generation as their top priority for the next 12 months. [Marketo]

Conclusion

Lead generation success in 2025 depends on more than outreach volume. Businesses that embrace personalization, nurture leads with valuable content, and leverage data-driven strategies see stronger ROI and long-term growth.

To stay ahead, focus on refining your email outreach, aligning budgets with proven channels, and continuously optimizing campaigns based on performance insights. The right mix of strategy and execution will help turn more leads into customers.