IDC: PC Sales Rose 8.1 Percent in 2025, 9.6 Percent in Q4

The market researchers at IDC have weighed in on PC sales in 2025 and have some positive news. The problem? Thanks to rising memory costs, they expect 2026 to be volatile and uncertain.

Note: I normally publish an annual recap of PC sales based on data from both Gartner and IDC and will do so. But waiting on Gartner is like watching paint dry, and this is newsworthy. –Paul

“IDC expects that the PC market will be far different in 12 months given how quickly the memory situation is evolving,” IDC vice president Jean Philippe Bouchard says. “Beyond the obvious pressure on prices of systems already announced by certain manufacturers, we might also see PC memory specifications be lowered on average to preserve memory inventory on hand. The year ahead is shaping up to be extremely volatile.”

IDC says that PC makers sold 284.7 million units in 2025, a gain of 8 percent year-over-year (YOY). And the holiday quarter was particularly good, with unit sales rising 9.6 percent to 76.4 million.

Lenovo is again the world’s biggest maker of PCs, with annual sales of 70.8 million units and 24.9 percent market share for 2025, a gain of 14.5 percent YOY. In the fourth quarter, IDC reports that Lenovo sold 19.3 million units, up 14.4 percent.

HP was again the second biggest PC maker in 2025, with 57.5 million units sold, up 8.4 percent YOY, and 20.2 percent market share. In Q4, HP sold 15.4 million units for a gain of 12.1 percent YOY.

Dell, Apple, and ASUS rounded out the top five again. Dell sold 41.1 million units in 2025 (up 5.1 percent) and 11.7 million units in Q4 and ended the year with 14.4 percent market share. Apple sold 25.6 million units (up 11.1 percent) in 2025, 7.1 million units in Q4, and had 9 percent market share. And ASUS landed at 20.5 million units in 2025 (up 13.4 percent), 5.4 million units in Q4, and 7.2 percent market share.

As for 2026, the uncertainty includes when or if memory prices and availability will ever return to normal, rising prices for customers, the possibility of lower starting RAM specifications, and slower growth. IDC says that it expects unit sales to still increase overall, but some smaller brands may not survive and DIY enthusiasts who build their own PCs may put off purchases or shift spending elsewhere.