The PC market experienced meager growth last year, and 2025 is looking uncertain

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Bottom line: Market analysts at IDC have released their latest insights into trends in the PC industry. While consumers continue to purchase computers and retailers are replenishing their stock, significant changes are expected in the coming months, leaving the market’s future uncertain.

The International Data Corporation said the PC market experienced modest growth in 2024, with hundreds of millions of systems shipped to distribution channels and end customers. Echoing predictions made by other analysts, the Blackstone-owned market research firm confirmed that 2025 is shaping up to be a turbulent year for the technology sector.

According to IDC, PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2024 rose by 1.8 percent compared to the same period in 2023, with 68.9 million units reaching the market. Over the full year, vendors shipped a total of 262.7 million PCs, marking a one percent year-over-year increase. While the growth rate was modest, IDC Research Manager Jitesh Ubrani noted that it signals a slow but steady recovery, leaving room for optimism in the market.

Several factors contributed to the growth in PC shipments. In China, substantial state subsidies boosted consumer demand, leading to better-than-expected performance in the segment. In the US and Europe, holiday sales promotions incentivized customers to purchase new PCs. Meanwhile, the enterprise market saw a surge in hardware upgrades as businesses prepared for the end of Windows 10 support, scheduled for October 2025.

According to IDC figures, Lenovo maintained its position as the world’s largest PC manufacturer in 2024, capturing a 24.5 percent market share and achieving a 4.8% percent year-over-year growth. HP Inc. ranked second with a 19.9 percent market share, though it was the only company to experience negative growth in 2024, posting a 1.7 percent decline. Dell, Apple, and Asus secured the third, fourth, and fifth spots, with market shares of 14.4 percent, 10.1 percent, and 6.9 percent, respectively.

As other research firms have highlighted in recent months, IDC notes that the next US administration could have a significant impact on the technology market. The looming threat of new or increased tariffs is raising concerns across the industry, leaving some brands facing a period of considerable uncertainty.

“The overall macroeconomic concerns seem to be overshadowing some of the progress and excitement around AI PCs,” IDC VP Ryan Reith said.

While the industry is pushing for customers to adopt new systems equipped with NPUs and other advanced technologies, organizations are still debating the tangible use cases for AI. Furthermore, users are not rushing to purchase new PCs specifically for AI purposes. IDC acknowledges that on-device AI for PCs is inevitable, though it will likely take longer to become mainstream than initially anticipated.