Global semiconductor equipment sales jumped 44% to record US$102.6b in 2021, says SEMI
13 Apr 2022
Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 2021 surged 44% year-on-year to an all-time record of US$102.6 billion from US$71.2 billion, said Semiconductor Equipment & Materials International (SEMI).
In a statement on its website on Tuesday (April 12), the association said the data is now available in the Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.
SEMI said China claimed the largest market for semiconductor equipment for the second time with sales expanding 58% to US$29.6 billion to mark the fourth consecutive year of growth.
It said South Korea, the second-largest equipment market, registered a sales increase of 55% to US$25.0 billion, after showing strong growth in 2020.
It said Taiwan logged 45% growth to US$24.9 billion to claim the third position.
It said annual semiconductor equipment spending increased 23% in Europe and 17% in North America, which continues to recover from a contraction in 2020. Sales in the rest of the world jumped 79% in 2021.
SEMI president and CEO Ajit Manocha said the 44% increase in manufacturing equipment spending in 2021 highlights the global semiconductor industry’s aggressive push to add capacity.
“This drive to expand production capabilities extends beyond the current supply imbalance, as the industry continues to ramp up to address a wide range of emerging high-tech applications that will enable a smarter digital world with countless social benefits,” he said.
SEMI said global sales of wafer processing equipment rose 44% in 2021, while other front-end segment sales grew 22%.
It said assembly and packaging showed exceptional growth across all regions, resulting in an 87% market increase in 2021, while total test equipment sales rose 30%.
Annual billings by region in billions of US dollars with year-on-year change rates
| Region | 2021 | 2020 | % change |
| China | 29.62 | 18.72 | 58% |
| South Korea | 24.98 | 16.08 | 55% |
| Taiwan | 24.94 | 17.15 | 45% |
| Japan | 7.80 | 7.58 | 3% |
| North America | 7.61 | 6.53 | 17% |
| Rest of the world | 4.44 | 2.48 | 79% |
| Europe | 3.25 | 2.64 | 23% |
| Total | 102.64 | 71.19 | 44% |
Sources: SEMI and SEAJ, April 2022
Source: The Edge Markets
