There are now more than one billion PCs in use worldwide and this number will double by the year 2014, according to Gartner research.

The figures relate to computers that are actually being used, as opposed to those that have merely been shipped. More than half of these PCs (58 per cent) are based in established markets such as Western Europe, Japan and the US.

But these regions only account for 15 per cent of the world's population. Users in emerging markets will play an increasingly large role in driving global take-up, said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner.

“We expect per-capita PC penetration in emerging markets to double by 2013,” said Shiffler.

“Rapid penetration in emerging markets is being driven by the explosive expansion of broadband and wireless connectivity in these markets, the continuing fall in PC average selling prices, and the general realisation that PCs are an indispensable tool for advancement.”

As the number of computers worldwide grows, the issue of recycling will become increasingly important, said Gartner. Roughly 180 million PCs will be replaced this year, of which 35 million will be simply dumped into landfills.