Tablets are making a comeback; revenue to surge 12.5% in 2025, largest jump in 4 years

The tablet market has had a tough few years. After booming in 2020 and 2021, sales took a sharp downturn in 2022 and 2023, making tablets the only IT device category that struggled to bounce back. But things changed in 2024, with the market gaining new momentum that is expected to continue this year.

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According to data presented by Stocklytics.com, global tablet sales revenue is expected to jump by 12.5% in 2025, marking the biggest increase in five years.

New AI Features and Tech Upgrades to Drive a 25% Sales Surge by 2029

During 2022 and 2023, it looked like tablets were on a long way to recovery after the post-pandemic slump. With sales plummeting by 18% in two years, market forecasts became quite pessimistic. Statista`s 2024 projections show that the full market recovery was not expected before 2028. However, things have changed a lot in a year, and tablets are making a strong comeback.

New tech upgrades, AI features, and extended battery life have made tablets more powerful, turning them into an appealing alternative for laptops and driving demand up. The latest Statista data proves this. In 2024, people worldwide spent close to $13 billion on tablets, 11.2% more than the year before. That means the global tablet spending soared by more than $1.3 billion year-over-year. This upward trend is expected to continue in 2025, with revenue growing by another 12.5%, the biggest increase since 2021.

Although annual growth rates will gradually slow in the coming years, global tablet sales are expected to grow by 25% and hit $18.1 billion by 2029. One-fifth of that value, or $4.8 billion, will come from the United States. China and Japan follow with $3.6 billion and $884 million, respectively.

Over 122 Million New Tablet Users by the End of the Decade

With tech upgrades and new AI features boosting sales, the number of tablet users is set to rise significantly in the following years. According to Statista, around 355 million people owned a tablet last year, nearly double the number from just five years ago. With more and more people using them as a more affordable alternative for laptops, the total number of users is expected to reach 364 million in 2025 and soar to nearly 460 million by 2025. That’s an impressive 122 million new users in just five years.

Over one-third of all tablet users that year, or 169 million, will come from China. Despite leading in revenue, the US market will have about four times fewer users, with a projected 42 million tablet owners in 2029.