Defense Speak Interpreted: Update on the Continuing Resolution and Budget Process for Defense
American Made Advocacy: Reshoring—About Trust, Not Just Geography
Beyond the Board: The Future of Innovation—Why the Electronics Industry Needs You
IDC Forecasts PC Shipments in Asia/Pacific to Grow at 4.1% YoY in 2025
March 17, 2025 | IDCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The traditional PC market (desktops, notebooks, and workstations) in Asia/Pacific (including Japan and China) dropped by 1.9% in 2024 to 95.5 million units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Q uarterly Personal Computing Devices Tracker, Q4 2024. IDC expects shipments to grow in 2025, mainly driven by replacement demand in Japan.
“In 2024, the Asia/Pacific region decreased year-over-year (YoY) as the market was dragged down by the sluggish economic recovery in China. Consumers limited purchases because of constrained spending power, while businesses faced tight budgets and restricted expenditures amid market uncertainty. That said, countries like Japan and the Philippines posted double-digit YoY growth, fueled by strong demand in the education segment and the private sector,” says Matthew Ong, senior market analyst, Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific.
Key Market Trends in 2024
- The consumer PC market declined by 2.6% to 47.3 million units. Desktop shipments dropped by 6.0% while notebooks fell by 1.5% YoY. Besides China, several other countries including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam experienced weak demand, which contributed to the decline of the consumer PC market in 2024.
- The commercial PC market decreased by 1.3% to 48.2 million units. Businesses were quite cautious with IT spending, although replacement demand started to pick up in the second half of the year to refresh devices that were purchased during the pandemic. This was particularly evident in Japan where the private sector posted double-digit YoY growth. Public sector shipments grew slightly, thanks to solid demand in the government segment as well as several large education projects that supported the commercial PC market in 2024.
In 2025, traditional PC shipments in Asia/Pacific are projected to record a 4.1% growth to 99.4 million units, driven by the commercial segment’s demand to replace pandemic-driven purchases and the transition to Windows 11, particularly in Japan.
"The Asia/Pacific PC market faces a year of mixed potential with several factors offering opportunities: aging pandemic-era PCs driving commercial refreshes, end of Windows 10 support spurring significant upgrades, and growing interest in AI PCs for productivity enhancements," said Maciek Gornicki, senior research manager, Devices Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. “However, businesses and consumers have yet to understand full benefits of AI PCs, which require greater education on use cases. While companies are likely to invest in AI PCs to futureproof their hardware, adoption is expected to be gradual and follow typical replacement cycles. Coupled with global economic and political uncertainties, this makes us believe that the PC market will witness only moderate growth this year.”
Share on:
Suggested Items
IPC President’s Award: Xaver Feiner
04/17/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineThroughout his career, Xaver Feiner, vice president of marketing and sales at Zollner Elektronik, has developed extensive expertise in account management and new business development with a strong focus on the semiconductor industry, aerospace, and industrial electronics. Xaver has cultivated a profound understanding of global markets and remains deeply engaged with the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. Since 2020, he has been an active member of the IPC Europe Advocacy Group, where he is dedicated to advancing the position of the electronics industry and the EMS sector across Europe.
New High Power 3D AXI for Power Electronics from Test Research, Inc.
04/17/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), a leading provider of Test and Inspection solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly announces the launch of the 3D AXI TR7600HP system. Designed for power semiconductor inspection, the TR7600HP enhances accuracy and efficiency in detecting defects in components such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC inverters, and Paladin Connectors.
IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Learning Lounge: Education on the Show Floor
04/16/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007The conference portion of IPC APEX EXPO has been providing educational opportunities for attendees since the first show. But recently, show managers decided to expand education onto the show floor.
IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Review: The New Normal Looks Like the Old Normal
04/16/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineAt IPC APEX EXPO, my days are filled with either talking or listening from sunup to sundown. I get to answer questions of some of the brightest minds in the business, while also listening and synthesizing what they’re sharing with me about the current and future state of the industry. Here are five observations based on the conversations.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: EPOCH Expands With Automation
04/17/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOWith a 35-year history, EPOCH is expanding its operations in Bangalore, India, focusing on automation and customer collaboration. Phil Marcoux leads a task force for AI in PCB design, working with various companies to enhance collaboration, and cites that, historically, data sharing has provided the greatest challenge for AI development. Luckily, he says, that is changing. EPOCH combines AI and traditional methods in manufacturing, especially in product design.