The 2021 full-year figure was a rise of 15% on the previous year, an increase of 27% over 2019 and the highest since 2012.

In revenue terms, the shipments for 2021 brought in US$250 billion (A$20.6 billion) compared to US$220 billion in 2020, an increase of 15%.

Canalys senior analyst Ishan Dutt said 2021 was a watershed year for the PC market, given the fact that devices were at the centre of work, learning and leisure.

“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," he said.

"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.

"This has set the stage for continued success for the PC industry as there is no turning back from how embedded they are in our day-to-day lives.”

Lenovo was the top brand in 2021 with 82.1 million units, an increase of 13.1% on 2020, despite shipments for the final quarter slipping by 6.5% to 21.7 million units.

HP was second with global shipments of 74.1 million units, 9.5% up year-on-year, while Dell recorded shipments of 59.3 million units, an increase of 18%.

“While 2021 was the year of digital transformation, 2022 will be the year of digital acceleration,” said Canalys principal analyst Rushabh Doshi.

“Demand for technology has boomed in the past two years, the effects of which continue to disrupt the supply chain, affecting not just availability of PCs, but also smartphones, automobiles and servers.

"As PC vendors navigate an ever more complicated situation, consumer spending patterns are shifting. We will see revenue growth in the industry from spending on premium PCs, monitors, accessories and other technology products that enable us to work from anywhere, collaborate around the world and remain ultra-productive.

"The importance of faster, better, more resilient and more secure PCs has never been greater, and the industry is willing to innovate and push the boundaries to keep this momentum going.”

Canalys includes notebooks, workstations and desktop units in its definition of PCs.