Semiconductors are the key enabling technology in a broad range of products across virtually all segments of our economy. Despite a cyclical market downturn that took hold during the second half of 2022, global semiconductor sales reached an all-time high of $574 billion for the year, an increase of 3.3% over 2021 sales. Newly released data on 2022 semiconductor sales by broad product category, known as “end use,” reveal which types of products saw the largest sales increases in 2022.

Historically, the PC/computer and communication end markets have accounted for approximately two-thirds of overall sales, with sectors such as automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics accounting for the remainder. But sales by end-market in 2022 showed a marked shift, according the 2022 Semiconductor End-Use Survey from the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization. While the PC/computer and communication end markets still accounted for the largest share of semiconductor sales in 2022, their lead shrunk. Meanwhile, the automotive and industrial applications experienced the largest growth for the year.

The table below presents the change in market share.

Source: WSTS and SIA analysis

Illustrating the growing demand for chips in these industries, the automotive and industrial sectors will represent 14% and 12% of the average growth in chip sales by 2030, respectively, driving demand growth through the decade, according to a McKinsey analysis (see table below). Despite the current short-term downturn in the global semiconductor market, demand for chips in the long-term is expected to show vibrant growth. And, to meet this growing demand, our industry has recently committed to expanding manufacturing capacity in the U.S. through private investments of over $200 billion thus far.

Note: Per Annum (p.a.)

Source: SIA