The global PC monitor market posted positive results in the second quarter of 2022 (2Q22), registering a 2.7 percent rise in shipments compared to the same quarter a year ago. Although the result was higher than expected, a deteriorating macroeconomic environment with rising inflation and weakening consumer sentiment point to a challenging outlook for at least the remainder of the year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker.

At just over 36 million units, the second quarter growth stood in contrast to traditional PCs, which saw shipments decline 15.7 percent year over year as demand cooled. Backorder fulfillment for commercial monitors drove much of the volume for the quarter, where earlier shortages and prohibitive logistics costs delayed return to office projects. In addition, emerging markets (excluding China and Russia) grew over 16 percent, helping to prop up a market beset by pullbacks in consumer spend.

However, the rosier than expected result seen in the second quarter is expected to be short lived. Global monitor shipments are now expected to decline 3.1 percent year over year in 2022 and 2023 will shrink another 4.2 percent before a weak recovery in 2024. The majority of this decline is coming from China, the second largest market in the world for monitors, which is expected to contract nearly 19 percent in 2022, the steepest drop for the nation since tracking began in 2008.

"Monitor inventory levels are rising in many regions," said Jay Chou, research manager, Worldwide Client Devices Tracker at IDC. "A consumer base that had a good run for the past couple years will now need some time to digest its existing stock. Even though most top vendors managed year-on-year growth in Q2, we believe the next three or four quarters will see cautious channel uptake and further consolidation. Beyond that horizon, commercial purchases, helped in part by hybrid work, could see the market above water by late 2023."