Contents
- Computer refurbishment market statistics: buyer awareness and interest
- Computer refurbishment market statistics: European PC sales and price bands
- Computer refurbishment market statistics: public-sector resale and donations
- Computer refurbishment market statistics: what happens to old devices
- Computer refurbishment market statistics: modeled emissions savings
- Reading the computer refurbishment market evidence
- Sources
Computer refurbishment market statistics: buyer awareness and interest
Refurbished computers occupy a market shaped by both price and confidence. In NIQ’s online survey of 17,000 adults aged 18 and older across 17 global markets, conducted in March 2026, 55% said they knew the concept of refurbished or renewed consumer technology and home appliances. That is a measure of stated awareness, not of purchases or familiarity with computer refurbishment specifically.
The same survey found that 53% were very or somewhat likely to consider refurbished IT products, including PCs, laptops and tablets. This is a reported intention across the surveyed markets; it should not be read as the share of consumers who will actually buy a refurbished computer. Still, the result suggests that consideration extends to computing devices, not just phones or household appliances.
Price was the most commonly cited motivation for buying refurbished instead of new, named by 57% of respondents. NIQ also asked what would increase willingness to buy refurbished consumer technology: 51% cited a strong warranty, 42% a meaningful discount versus new, 40% easy returns if dissatisfied, and 39% certified testing. These responses point to a combination of value and assurances around product condition and recourse. They do not measure how much buyers are willing to pay or which assurance has the largest effect on completed sales.
Source: NIQ, Consumer Tech Trends 2027. Survey conducted online in March 2026 among 17,000 adults aged 18+ in 17 markets.
Computer refurbishment market statistics: European PC sales and price bands
CONTEXT reported that refurbished PC unit sales through distribution rose 7% year over year in Q4 2025 across Italy, the UK, Germany, Spain and France. This is a specific sales-channel and five-country measure. It does not represent all refurbished computer transactions, such as direct sales between consumers or sales through channels outside the analysis.
Price bands help show where refurbished notebooks were positioned in the reported market. The €200–€300 range accounted for around 40% of refurbished notebook sales in CONTEXT’s analysis. The €300–€400 segment grew from 15% of the refurbished notebook market in 2024 to 23% in 2025. The shift indicates a larger share in that mid-range band in the reported data, though the figures alone do not establish why it changed or whether total market value rose.
The report also describes lower price points in other device categories: one-third of refurbished tablet sales were below €100, while a similar proportion of refurbished desktop sales fell in the €100–€200 range. These are category-specific observations, so they should not be combined into one overall average price for refurbished computers.
| Reported measure | Finding |
|---|---|
| Refurbished PC unit sales through distribution, five markets, Q4 2025 year over year | +7% |
| Refurbished notebook sales in the €200–€300 band | Around 40% |
| Refurbished notebook market in the €300–€400 band, 2024 | 15% |
| Refurbished notebook market in the €300–€400 band, 2025 | 23% |
| Refurbished tablet sales below €100 | One-third |
| Refurbished desktop sales in the €100–€200 band | A similar proportion to tablets below €100 |
Source: CONTEXT, “UK Leads Europe’s Refurbished PC Surge as Quality and Supply Pressures”, published 12 February 2026. Sales and price-band findings refer to the analysis described in that release.
Computer refurbishment market statistics: public-sector resale and donations
Government asset reporting offers a separate view of how used computers can re-enter circulation. UK government departments reported reselling 6,140 desktop units and 21,988 laptop units in 2024–2025. They also reported donating 174 desktops and 1,599 laptops. The larger reported laptop counts show that, within this departmental return, laptops accounted for more units in both resale and donation.
These figures count reported units, not revenue, resale prices, or the number of devices ultimately refurbished and used again. The annual report covers UK government departments and excludes devolved administrations; departmental breakdown reporting is incomplete. The totals should therefore be understood within that reporting scope rather than as a complete inventory of all UK public-sector equipment recovery.
| Device | Resold | Donated |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computers | 6,140 units | 174 units |
| Laptops | 21,988 units | 1,599 units |
Source: UK Government, Greening Government Commitments ICT Annual Report 2024 to 2025, Table 3, destination of UK government ICT waste. Departmental reporting coverage is incomplete; devolved administrations are excluded.
Computer refurbishment market statistics: what happens to old devices
Eurostat’s 2024 figures describe how people aged 16–74 in the EU said they handled old computers. For desktop computers, 15% reported recycling the old device, 9% giving it away or selling it, 19% keeping it in the household, and 2% throwing it away. For laptops or tablets combined, 11% reported recycling an old device, 12% giving it away or selling it, 34% keeping it at home, and 1% throwing it away.
The give-away-or-sell figures are the most directly connected to potential reuse, but they do not tell us whether recipients continued using the devices, whether the devices were refurbished, or whether a sale was commercial. Likewise, keeping a device at home is not the same as reuse: it may remain stored. The reported categories provide a snapshot of stated disposition, not a count of devices entering the refurbishment market.
| Old device and reported action | Share of EU people aged 16–74, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Desktop computer recycled | 15% |
| Desktop computer given away or sold | 9% |
| Desktop computer kept in household | 19% |
| Desktop computer thrown away | 2% |
| Laptop or tablet recycled | 11% |
| Laptop or tablet given away or sold | 12% |
| Laptop or tablet kept at home | 34% |
| Laptop or tablet thrown away | 1% |
Among EU countries, the Netherlands had the highest reported share recycling old desktop computers, at 28%; Sweden followed at 26%. These are country-level shares of people reporting that action, not recycling rates by device count or measures of refurbishment capacity.
Source: Eurostat, Digitalisation in Europe – 2026 edition, “Recycling of ICT equipment.”
Computer refurbishment market statistics: modeled emissions savings
Refurbishment can extend a computer’s useful life, and a 2025 Fraunhofer UMSICHT study estimated greenhouse-gas savings for modeled device scenarios. Compared with a conventional life cycle, the study reported savings of around 31%, or 107 kg, for a refurbished laptop and around 18%, or 163 kg, for a refurbished desktop PC. Across the selected device types, estimated savings from reuse or refurbishment ranged from 18% to 37%.
The percentages and kilograms describe the same comparisons in different units; they are not separate benefits to add together. The estimates are modeled life-cycle results based on processing data from Interzero, and the amount varies by device type. They do not predict the savings from every refurbishment project or establish how many devices in the market were refurbished.
Source: Fraunhofer UMSICHT, “Reuse of IT equipment”, published 29 October 2025. Results compare modeled reuse or refurbishment scenarios with a conventional life cycle.
Reading the computer refurbishment market evidence
Together, the available measures describe different parts of the market rather than one unified market size. NIQ captures consumer awareness and stated purchase interest across 17 markets. CONTEXT reports distribution sales and product price bands in European markets. UK government figures count reported departmental disposals through resale and donation, while Eurostat records people’s reported handling of old devices. Fraunhofer’s results estimate environmental effects under modeled scenarios.
The measures are useful alongside one another, but they have different denominators and scopes. A survey response is not a transaction; a unit count is not sales value; a device reported as given away is not necessarily refurbished; and a modeled emissions estimate is not an observed market total. Keeping those distinctions clear makes the evidence more useful for evaluating demand, recovery channels and the potential role of refurbishment.