Market analyst firm Canalys’ report about PC shipments in 2021 suggests Apple is on an upward trajectory. The company’s Mac shipments grew nearly twice as fast as the global PC market.

The report shows that the COVID-19-fuelled growth spurt for computers in 2020 did not slacken in 2021. Total PC shipments in the fourth quarter crossed the 90 million mark for the second consecutive year, and Apple’s Mac shipments grew 28.3 percent, compared to the PC industry’s 14.6 percent growth. Annual Mac shipments climbed from 22,574,000 units in 2020 to 28,958,000 units in 2021. The growth in volumes can be attributed to the strong sales of the latest-generation M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro.

In the entire year, PC companies shipped 341 million units. That’s 15 percent more computers than last year, 27 percent more than in 2019, and the highest total number of PCs shipped since 2012. The industry’s revenues reflected the growth as well. They grew 11 percent to $70 billion in Q4 2021 and 15 percent from $220 billion to $250 billion in the entire year. According to the report, most of the growth can be attributed to laptops and mobile workstations. Their shipments grew 16 percent in 2021 compared to 7 percent for desktop computers and workstations.

Canalys senior analyst Ishan Dutt remarked that 2021 was a “watershed year” for the PC market.

“2021 was a watershed year in the history of the PC market, with the PC’s place at the center of work, learning, and leisure truly cemented. For the market to post double-digit growth over an impressive 2020, despite the constant cloud of supply constraints, speaks volumes about how strong PC demand has been over the last 12 months. Taking a long-term view, the most important developments in 2021 were the large increases in PC penetration and usage rates. PCs are now in the hands of both young students and older family members, while ownership of two or more PCs per person has become more common in developed markets. Since the onset of the pandemic, a larger than normal proportion of PCs shipped have been new additions to the installed base rather than replacement devices, especially in areas such as education and remote work.”

Do you think Apple would be able to sustain the growth rate of Mac shipments through 2022? Tell us in the comments section.