Global PC shipments plunge 29% in rough economy

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Shipments of Apple Macs plunged during the first quarter of this year as the global personal computer market suffered due to tough economic conditions, market research reports said on Monday.

Weak demand, excess inventory, and a worsening macroeconomic climate contributed to a "precipitous drop in shipments of traditional PCs" in the first three months of this year, according to the report from IDC.

PC shipments globally tallied 56.9 million, some 29 percent less than the same period a year earlier, the research firm said.

Shipments of Apple Mac computers, which are in the premium segment of the market, shrank more than 40 percent in the quarter, IDC and Canalys, another research firm, reported.

"Consumers and businesses will remain cautious about outlays on new PCs in the short term," said Canalys analyst Ishan Dutt.

"Demand across all customer segments remains dampened, with more pressure arising from further interest rate increases in the US, Europe and other markets, where reducing inflation is a top priority."

Lenovo had the largest share of the PC market with slightly more than 22 percent, despite shipments slipping 30 percent when compared with the same quarter a year earlier, the market trackers reported.

The declines represented "a coda to the era of Covid-driven demand" for PCs and a return to a pre-pandemic trend, according to IDC.

The PC market was expected to improve later in the year as the global economy improves and consumers become interested in upgrading to the latest Windows operating system.

"By 2024, an aging installed base will start coming up for refresh," said IDC Devices and Displays research vice president Linn Huang.

"If the economy is trending upwards by then, we expect significant market upside...If recession in key markets drags on into next year, recovery could be a slog."