IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future Consumer 2025 Predictions
This IDC study contains IDC's top 10 future consumer predictions for 2025–2030. "The consumer market remains vibrant as established digital services, such as video and social media, continue to reshape the landscape and emerging and evolving ones, such as digital wellness, continue to gain adoption," said Greg Ireland, research director, Consumer Market Model, Future Consumer Agenda, and TV and OTT Video at IDC. "Consumers are poised to spend over $1 trillion a year on digital goods and services by the end of this current predictions period, signaling tremendous opportunities in the consumer market. Key market dynamics to watch include the continued impact of GenAI, consumer participation in the gig economy, and technology adoption gaps."
IDC FutureScape Figure
Executive Summary
IDC FutureScape Predictions
Summary of External Drivers
Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
Prediction 1: In 2025, More than 40% of Video Content Viewed by Consumers Will Be Via Social Media Apps as the Transformation of the Consumer Video Ecosystem Progresses
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 2: In 2025, University-Educated Consumers Will Be a Third More Likely to Use Key Wellness-Related Apps and Services than Non-college-Educated Consumers
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 3: Millennials Continue to Be the Sweet Spot for Consumer Tech Adoption, and in 2026, They Will Be 25% More Likely than Gen Z Consumers to Be Enthusiastic Adopters of New Technologies
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 4: In 2026, Consumer Users of GenAI Will Reach 5 Billion Worldwide
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 5: In 2027, AI Will Be a Standard Feature in Consumer Data Storage Solutions, with Over 60% of Platforms Offering AI-Powered Organization, Search, and Security Functionalities
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 6: In 2027, More than 60% of Users of Key Consumer Digital Content Services Will Be Nonbuyers
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 7: In 2028, Two-Thirds of Consumer Content Creators Will Use GenAI in Their Video Content Creation Workflow
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 8: In 2028, Consumers Worldwide Will Generate More than 9TB of Data per Person per Year
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 9: In 2028, Consumers Who Earn Income Participating in the Digital Economy Will Reach 1.5 Billion
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 10: In 2029, Global Consumer Spending on Digital Goods and Services Will Reach $1.2 Trillion
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Advice for Technology Buyers
External Drivers: Detail
Customer Experience Squared — Consumer and Citizen Expectations for Digital Services
AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization
Battling Against Technical Debt — Overcoming Hurdles to IT Modernization
Responsible and Human-Centric Technology — Ethics in the Enterprise
The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future
Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats
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