Smart Vacuum Shipments Reach 18.5 Million Units in 2023

Worldwide shipments of smart vacuum devices reached 18.5 million units in 2023 with a total market value of $7.8 billion, according to new data from IDC. As the market surged forward, the United States and China represented roughly half the overall market, followed by Western Europe and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan and China) (APeJC).

China surpassed the U.S. to become the world's largest market in early 2023 and ended the year with 4.6 million smart vacuums shipped. Consequentially, Chinese brands also climbed the vendor rankings as Roborock, Ecovacs, and Xiaomi were all part of the global Top 5, although iRobot maintained the leading position by a narrow margin in 2023.

"Competition has continued to grow within the smart vacuum market, displacing the need for traditional vacuums in many homes," said Quorra Liu, senior analyst for Client Systems Research at IDC China. "Looking ahead, international expansion will be key for many brands, bringing with it the need to understand local markets while continuously improving the technical capabilities and ensuring active cooperation with local smart home ecosystems."

"Smart vacuums have become a key part of consumers' smart home journey as the value proposition has been immediately recognizable for consumers. Moreover, these vacuums are steadily serving as a gateway for brands to introduce additional robotics into consumer's homes," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers at IDC. "However, pricing remains an issue as much of the recent growth has been in the midrange or premium segments, leaving the low-end and emerging markets underserved."