After pandemic perturbation comes extreme chip market growth
The growth, based on the three-month averaged figures, has been rising steadily through the year due to a mix of ramping production failing to meet phenomenal demand driving increased average selling prices and comparison with the inhibited year before.
All the regions of the world tracked by World Semiconductor Trade Statistics and reported by SIA achieved annual growth above 20 percent in averaged across, March, April, May and unusually Europe led the world with growth of 31.2 pecent. Only a few months before Europe had been the slowest growing region.
This extreme European growth reflects that it suffered particularly in the 2Q20 with the closure of a number automobile and industrial factories due to societal responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Other regions also responded but at slightly different times and to greater or lesser degrees so the latest round of figures reflect a dynamic situation but one with underlying strong growth.
Europe’s May averaged chip market was 31.2 percent up from 20.1 percent in April. To move the needle that much in one month reflects the inclusion in the comparison of a very weak May 2020. Month-on-month Europe’s chip market only expanded by 1.1 percent indicating that a rapid fall in the market a year before was the major factor.
The Chinese chip market was up 26.1 percent year-on-year in May with the Asia-Pacific region excluding China going above 30 percent.
Three-month average of chip sales by geographic region for May and April 2021. Source: SIA/WSTS.
“The industry shipped more units on a three-month moving basis in May than during any previous month in the market’s history, indicating semiconductor production has ramped up significantly to address rising demand,” said John Neuffer, CEO of the SIA, in a statement.
Monthly data is given by the SIA as a three-month average although the source of the data, World Semiconductor Trade Statisics, tracks actual monthly data. The SIA and other regional semiconductor industry bodies opt to use averaged data because it evens out the actual data that typically shows troughs at the beginnings of quarters and peaks at the ends of quarters.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
Pandemic comparison makes chip market look strong
WSTS recasts 2021 as 20% growth year for chip market
China, Asia chip markets gain strength
China’s chip market booms as global sales strength continues
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