China Climbs Past U.S. to Become Largest PC Market

An inevitable and unsurprising milestone: China has finally surpassed the U.S. in both PC sales and shipments, according to International Data Corporation.

In the second quarter of 2011, PC sales in China reached $11.9 billion; PC shipments rose 14.3 percent year over year to 18.5 million units. Meanwhile, PC sales in the States slipped to $11.7 billion, and shipments dropped 4.9 percent to 17.7 million units.

This is the first time China has overtaken the U.S. to become the world’s largest market for personal computers, and while it’s not likely to hold that title on a full-year basis in 2011, thanks to the holiday buying season in the States, it will probably claim it in 2012.

“China’s lead in the PC market is a huge shift that reflects the rising fortunes of emerging markets as well as the relative stagnation of more mature regions,” IDC VP Loren Loverde said in a statement. “While the immediate economic circumstances in the U.S. and other markets had a significant impact on the timing of China’s move to the lead, they have not changed the trend, but accelerated it.”