IDC expects PC shipments to decline 8.2% in 2022 due to lockdowns, war, and inflation

The analyst firm IDC has stated that it expects to see PC shipments decline by 8.2% this year, while tablet sales will drop 6.2%. The firm said that lockdowns, war, and inflation were the primary cause of the slowdown. It’s important to note that the pandemic gave PCs a big boost as people sought to work from home. After the decline in shipments, the units sold will still be higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Research manager for IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, Jitesh Ubrani, said:

“Supply shortages have plagued the industry for a while and the recent lockdowns in parts of China continue to exacerbate the issue as factories struggle to receive new components from upstream suppliers while also facing issues downstream when it comes to shipping finished goods. While the restrictions are expected to ease soon, worker sentiment within the supply chain remains muted, and backlogs of deliveries will persist for the remainder of the year.”

While PC shipments are going to be down this year, they will return to positive growth in 2023, however, the compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2026 will still be -0.6%. Tablets won’t fare as well over the same period with the CAGR coming in at -2%.

In terms of actual shipments, IDC says 321.2 million PCs will be shipped this year while the figure stands at 158 million for tablets. In 2026, there are expected to be 339 million PC shipments and 152.5 million shipments of tablets.

IDC expects PC shipments to decline 8.2% in 2022 due to lockdowns, war, and inflation