Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, February 7, 2024
Summary
Online adults in most countries worldwide boosted their computer buying during the pandemic, only to return to near prepandemic levels. In the US and Germany, the peak was in 2021; in the UK, the highest refresh was not until 2023. Online adults in Japan maintained low levels. The highest shares of recently acquired computers were younger adults aged 18 to 24 or 25 to 34.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who acquired a primary PC in the previous 12 months, split by country and age group.
A pandemic rise for Americans, Germans, and Chinese, with the UK delayed
- Adults in each country responded differently to the pandemic in their computer acquisition, with Americans, Germans, and Chinese at the forefront of increasing their replacement rates
- The rise has been followed by a return to previous levels for Americans
- Adults in the UK maintained low yet stable rates through 2022 and then stepped up in 2023 in a big way