Worldwide PC shipments totaled 64.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting a 1.4 percent increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, based on preliminary results from Gartner, Inc. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of consistent shipment growth. Throughout the year, PC shipments reached 245.3 million units in 2024, which is a 1.3 percent rise from 2023. This represents the second consecutive year in which shipment volume has fallen below the 250 million mark.
“Despite the increased expectations for the adoption of AI PCs and the anticipated Windows 11 PC refresh cycle, the global PC market recorded only modest growth in the fourth quarter of 2024,” stated Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner. “For consumers, the price of AI PCs was a deterrent to any potential strong adoption, while economic uncertainties in certain regions, such as China and parts of Europe, continued to suppress PC demand.”
“We anticipate that PC demand will rise and that the market will experience solid growth in 2025, driven by delayed Windows 11 PC refresh demand and the growing business value of AI PCs as their use cases mature,” added Atwal.
Vendor performance overview
In the fourth quarter of 2024, there were no shifts in the rankings of the top six vendors. However, their performance showed a mix of results. HP Inc. and Dell Technologies exhibited a slight decline, while all other vendors posted year-over-year growth.
Lenovo continued its upward trajectory for the fifth consecutive quarter, achieving a 4.2 percent growth year-over-year. The vendor’s gains in Japan and the Americas were somewhat counterbalanced by weaker performance in Asia Pacific and Canada. The struggling economy in China negatively impacted PC demand overall, but it had a particularly strong effect on Lenovo, as this region is its largest market.
Other vendors showed varied results. HP Inc. faced a weaker quarter following five consecutive quarters of growth, while Dell recorded another slight decline in the fourth quarter of 2024, down 0.1 percent compared to the same quarter in 2023.
Regional market insights
The U.S. market grew by 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 when compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, although it experienced a sequential decline of 1.7 percent.
“Stable macroeconomic conditions in the U.S. steadied PC demand, while the public sector saw healthy PC demand during the quarter as the government finalized its budget and approached the end of its fiscal year,” noted Atwal. “The business market improved, while consumer demand was bolstered by appealing discounts during year-end sales promotions.”
HP maintained its position as the leading vendor in the U.S. PC market based on shipments, holding a 26.1 percent market share. Dell followed closely with 21.8 percent of the U.S. PC market.
The EMEA market, however, returned to a decline after two quarters of growth, dropping 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Quarter-over-quarter unit volumes saw a slight increase, at 3.9 percent. Annually, the EMEA PC market grew by 1.9 percent over 2023.
“Despite the new normal characterized by political unrest and ongoing cost of living challenges, annual growth has emerged, even as the markets have been depressed for nearly two years,” commented Atwal. “However, this growth should be viewed as stabilization of EMEA market volumes rather than a full market recovery.”
Weak demand in China remained a significant factor dragging down PC growth in the Asia Pacific region, with the total PC market in China experiencing a year-over-year decline of 12 percent. In contrast, other parts of Asia Pacific, including Japan, performed considerably better in the fourth quarter of 2024, as businesses sought to utilize their year-end budgets and consumer PC sales surged during the holiday season. Overall, while desktop shipments declined, laptop shipments remained flat year-over-year.
Annual overview: PC market sees modest recovery
In 2024, the PC market experienced a modest recovery of 1.3 percent year-over-year, although 2023 was the weakest year in the last decade for the PC industry. Worldwide PC shipments totaled 245.4 million units in 2024, up from 242.3 million units in 2023.
“This was quite an achievement for these PC vendors, especially considering that the annual market volume had decreased by 100 million units from the peak growth year of 2021, and by 40 million units compared to pre-pandemic levels,” remarked Atwal.
These results are preliminary, and final statistics will soon be available to clients of Gartner’s PC Quarterly Statistics Worldwide by Region program. This program provides a comprehensive and timely overview of the global PC market, allowing product planning, distribution, marketing, and sales organizations to stay informed about key issues and their future implications worldwide.
