Global semiconductor sales 2012-2021, by month

In December 2021, global semiconductor sales came to a total of 50.85 billion U.S. dollars, up from the 49.69 billion U.S. dollars seen in November 2021. The figure for December 2021 is an increase year-on-year from the 39.63 billion U.S. dollars observed in September 2020.

Regional semiconductor markets

In 2020, China remained the largest individual market for semiconductors, ahead of the rest of the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas. Semiconductor sales in Europe are lower than in other regions, although this is likely to be boosted by the announcement from the European Union (EU) that it wants to set a goal for Europe to produce at least 20 percent of the world’s semiconductors by value by 2030.

Semiconductor capital expenditure (CAPEX)

Increased levels of CAPEX are required across the entire semiconductor value chain to meet the demand for semiconductors from all sectors of the economy. As a result, CAPEX is regarded as a key indicator of growth in the semiconductor industry. In 2010, semiconductor capital spending amounted to 54 billion U.S. dollars – over a decade later, this figure has nearly tripled to over 150 billion U.S. dollars.