PC vendors sold just 250.7 million PCs in 2023, marking a 13.25 percent year-over-year (YOY) decline compared to the 289 million units sold in 2022. This is the lowest number of PCs sold since 2006, and considerably lower than the pandemic-high 344.3 million units that PC vendors sold in 2021.

These figures are an average calculated based on data provided by Gartner and IDC, both of which anticipate growth in the PC market in 2024.

“The PC market has reached the bottom of its decline after significant adjustment,” remarked Gartner director Mikako Kitagawa. “Supply and demand are finally balanced with normalized inventory in the fourth quarter of 2023, resolving an issue that has been affecting the industry for the past two years. However, this equilibrium is likely to shift due to an anticipated component price hike in 2024, in addition to geopolitical and economic uncertainties.”

“Although shipments were down in 2023, there is a lot of positive momentum for PCs going forward,” stated IDC group vice president Ryan Reith. “While AI has undoubtedly captured everyone’s attention, it is important to note that 2024 is expected to be a strong year for commercial PC refresh, and the progress in gaming PCs continues to generate market excitement.”

In 2024, Lenovo retained its position as the world’s largest PC vendor by selling an estimated 59.4 million units and achieving a 23.7 percent market share. HP once again held the second position with 52.9 million units sold, accounting for 21.1 percent market share. Dell (40.1 million, 16 percent), Apple (21.8 million, 8.7 percent), and ASUS (17 million, 6.7 percent) rounded out the top five.

PC sales experienced a decline in every quarter of 2023, although the market almost recovered in the final quarter, with sales of 65.24 million units – a mere 1.5 percent decrease from the 66.25 million units sold in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.