Thomas Alsop
Research expert covering the global hardware industry
Desktop PC market in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
A desktop personal computer (PC) is a computer designed for regular use at a specific location on or near a desk or table. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, these devices became key tools for work, study, and entertainment. However, the last decades have seen smaller, portable devices like the laptop rise in popularity. Desktop PCs form part of the wider PC market which, in the United Kingdom (UK), has performed consistently in terms of sales. In 2022, the PC market in the UK was valued at 5.7 billion U.S. dollars, with desktop PCs in the UK generating 600 million U.S. dollars in revenue.
The desktop PC market is not immune to economic troubles
Facing the same challenges as other device markets because of the unfavorable economic climate, the PC market in the UK declined by over five percent in 2022, with desktop PCs experiencing a market contraction of 3.8 percent. This came off the back of a positive period for the PC industry: the pandemic enforced move to a new way of life led to a surge in the number of people working or learning from home who required a PC to fulfill these tasks. In addition, people sought new methods of entertainment from the home, with gaming PCs becoming a popular option. A desktop PC is often the preferred solution for many PC gamers due to its ability to house a more powerful processor and graphics card which in turn enables the system to run more demanding games.Demand for PCs set to remain strong
In the UK, the number of households with a computer was forecast to reach 26.5 million in 2023. Laptop and notebook devices will remain the favored choice of most buyers, though with 41 percent of UK households owning a desktop PC, it is a market that cannot be ignored. Computer peripheral suppliers can benefit from this sustained demand, with desktop PC owners requiring monitors, keyboards, and other accessories to get the most from their devices. The UK PC monitor and projector market alone is expected to be worth 596 million U.S. dollars in 2023, with a range of new peripheral devices such as advanced displays and headsets likely to be compatible with desktop PCs in the future.
