After declining for the first time ever in 2022, worldwide shipments of wearable devices are forecast to rebound in 2023, reaching a total of 504.1 million units, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. This represents 2.4% year-over-year growth, driven by sustained demand for the most popular products –earwear and smartwatches – while other products hold steady. Looking ahead, IDC expects the market will see several years of single-digit growth with shipments reaching 629.4 million units in 2027 and resulting in a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0%.

Earwear will remain the largest product category throughout the forecast as new users seek out their first set and current users upgrade from devices purchased in 2020 and 2021, when earwear shipments reached their peak. Smartwatches will experience market-beating growth as users transition from wristbands to smartwatches and, in some cases, from basic smartwatches to advanced smartwatches. Despite downward pressure from smartwatches, wristbands are not expected to disappear from the market as these devices will continue to appeal to users seeking simpler solutions. Meanwhile, all other wearable categories – including clothing, rings, glasses that do not feature augmented or virtual reality, and others – will trend up and to the right albeit from a much smaller base.

"Despite the ongoing challenges in the macroeconomy, demand for wearables will push the market back into growth mode," said Ramon T. Llamas, research director with IDC's Wearables team. "We still anticipate new devices to come out later this year and these will coincide with replacement purchases for those who acquired a new device several years ago. This sets up a virtuous cycle for future purchases in the coming years resulting in continued growth for the overall market."

"And while replacements will be a big driver for mature markets such as North America and Europe, emerging markets are expected to drive continuous growth as well though many of these consumers are expected to be first time buyers," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. "India has already surpassed the United States and China in terms of market size and will remain the largest market going forward thanks to the breadth of low-cost yet feature-rich devices from local vendors. Aside from India, other Asian countries along with Middle East and Africa will lead in terms of shipment growth while China and the USA will remain the second and third largest markets, respectively."

About IDC Trackers

IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size, vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual, quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to clients in user-friendly Excel deliverables and on-line query tools.

For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, please contact Jackie Kliem at 508-988-7984 or jkliem@idc.com.

Click here to learn about IDC's full suite of data products and how you can leverage them to grow your business.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230623201990/en/

Worldwide shipments of wearable devices are forecast to rebound in 2023, reaching a total of 504.1 million units, followed by continued growth through 2027, according to new data from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.