IDC forecasts global PC shipments to grow in 2024

NEEDHAM, Mass. – The road to recovery for personal computers (PCs) has been challenging coming off explosive years in 2020 and 2021, but signs of growth are finally returning. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, PC shipments are forecast to grow 3.7% year over year in 2024 reaching 261.4 million shipments. This shipment volume will be higher than the 259.6 million in 2018, but still below 2019 levels. The industry still faces challenges including concerns around the consumer market refresh cycle, businesses pushing device purchases forward, and education budgets that are not rebounding in many markets. As a result, 2023 shipments are forecast to decline 13.7% year over year to 252 million units.

The commercial PC market is getting very interesting for several reasons. From a processor standpoint we are arguably seeing some of the biggest shifts in commercial PC history with AMD reaching 11% share in 2022 and Apple just over 5% in 2022. Additionally, the introduction of generative AI has all IT decision makers questioning where to prioritize budgets. And while AI-capable PCs are not ready today, they are coming and have shifted some of the discussion around device purchasing within businesses. Lastly, the move to remote/hybrid work environments has not gone away and as a result we're still hearing that many companies are listening to the requests of their employees. This includes which brands, types of PCs, and whether multiple PCs are needed for those that are in a hybrid work environment.

Read the full press release here.

IDC