Global PC Shipments Plunge 20.1% in Q3 2026

IDC says an early‑year inventory pull‑in left channels overstocked at elevated prices, leading to expected short‑term promotions with a weaker demand outlook into 2027.

Overview

IDC’s preliminary data shows worldwide PC shipments fell 20.1% year‑over‑year to 62.7 million units in Q3 2026, marking the second straight quarterly decline for the year.
Vendors and channels bought inventory earlier in 2026 to hedge against price rises, a move that pulled demand forward and stripped Q3 of its usual seasonal lift.
Almost all major vendors reported double‑digit declines, with Lenovo shipping about 14.9 million units (23.8% share), HP down 30.9% to roughly 10.3 million, and Dell down 25% to about 7.6 million.
Apple shipped 5.9 million Macs in Q3 2026, an 11.3% drop in units that nonetheless raised its global PC share from 8.5% to 9.5% as the wider market contracted.
IDC warns that elevated hardware prices and lingering supply constraints could push channels to run promotions to clear overstocked inventory and may weaken demand into 2027.