Global PC shipments fall by more than 20 per cent
Suppliers and shops bought stock in earlier, while memory shortages keep prices high.
Worldwide, 20.1 per cent fewer PCs were shipped in the third quarter of 2026 than a year earlier. Research firm IDC attributes the decline to stock bought in early, higher prices and shortages of memory and other components.
IDC counted 62.7 million desktops, laptops and workstations shipped in the third quarter, compared with 78.5 million in the same period of 2025. These are provisional figures covering shipments to distribution channels or end users, not the number of computers consumers actually bought in shops.
The decline follows a weaker second quarter, in which shipments fell by 3.8 per cent, according to IDC. Volume also fell quarter on quarter: 9.1 per cent fewer PCs were shipped than in the second quarter. This is notable because the third quarter normally benefits from the new school year and preparations for the festive season.
According to IDC, manufacturers, distributors and shops built up extra stock in the first half of the year. They wanted to get ahead of price rises and shortages. As a result, some demand was brought forward, leaving less new demand in the third quarter. At the same time, high prices are making consumers and businesses cautious about purchases.
The memory problems do not stand alone. Omdia, another research firm, recorded a 21.2 per cent decline to 58.1 million devices for the same quarter. The difference from IDC stems from different definitions and measurement methods, but both estimates point to the same development: the global PC market shrank sharply.
Omdia reports that memory and storage now account for a much larger share of a PC’s cost than usual. The firm also cites shortages of processors, graphics chips and other integrated circuits. IDC also identifies demand from data centres for chips used in artificial intelligence as a factor increasing pressure on components.
For buyers, the contraction does not automatically mean that computers will quickly become cheaper. IDC sees possible temporary offers if shops have too much stock, but expects prices to remain above last year’s level for the time being. Omdia also expects a further decline in the fourth quarter. The figures are estimates by market researchers, not official government statistics.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and explanations were checked directly with IDC and Omdia. The text makes clear that these are provisional market estimates and shipments, not final shop sales.
- confirmed IDC reported 62.7 million PC shipments and a 20.1 per cent decline in the third quarter of 2026. — This is stated in IDC’s provisional report of 8 October 2026. source
- confirmed Omdia reported a 21.2 per cent decline to 58.1 million devices. — This is stated in Omdia’s announcement of 9 October 2026. source
- confirmed Stock was bought in earlier to get ahead of price rises and shortages. — IDC and Omdia cite pull-forward of demand and increased stock as important explanations. source
- confirmed Omdia cites shortages of memory, storage, processors and graphics chips. — These components are explicitly mentioned in Omdia’s announcement. source
Editor's note
IDC and Omdia confirm a sharp decline in global PC shipments, but their figures differ because of methodology. There is no separate Dutch sales statistic for this quarter in the sources consulted.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „geheugen chips”
- Het Parool — „geheugen chips”
- NRC — „geheugen chips”