International Data Corporation (IDC), due to the imposition of US import duties on products from China, as well as deteriorating market sentiment, mainly in the consumer sector, has worsened its forecast for personal computer (PC) and tablet shipments in 2025 and beyond.
The global PC market is now expected to reach 273 million units in 2025, up 3.7 per cent from last year. IDC further expects growth of less than 1% each year by the end of 2029, partly due to stabilisation following user adoption of the Windows 11 operating system.
Tablet sales are expected to decline 0.8% this year to 143.3 million, and after a gradual decline by 2029, shipments are expected to be 141.6 million units, mainly due to consumer oversaturation.
The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of global PC and tablet sales between 2025 and 2029 will be 0.4%, IDC forecasts. As a result, total shipments will reach 422.6 million units in 2029.