SCOTTSDALE, AZ – IC Insights forecasts the 2019 global electronic systems market will grow 4% to $1.68 trillion. In contrast, the worldwide semiconductor market is expected to drop 12% this year to $443.8 billion after exceeding the $500 billion level for the first time last year.  

If the 2019 forecasts come to fruition, the average semiconductor content in an electronic system will drop to 26.4% after setting the record of 31.1% last year.

With global unit shipments of cellphones, automobiles, and PCs showing maturity and slowing over the past 10 years, the disparity between the 3% 2008-2018 CAGR registered in the electronic systems market and the 7% 2008-2018 CAGR displayed by the semiconductor market is directly due to the increased content/value of semiconductors in electronic systems, says IC Insights.

While the trend of increasing semiconductor content has been evident for the past 30 years, the big jump in the average semiconductor content in electronic systems in 2017 and 2018 was primarily due to the huge surge in DRAM and NAND flash ASPs and average electronic system sales growth last year. The memory IC ASP jump experienced over the past two years (56% in 2017 and 29% in 2018) is expected to reverse itself this year (down 33%) and bring the semiconductor content percentage down with it.  However, beginning in 2020, the semiconductor content percentage figure is expected to once again resume its climb and eventually reach a new high of 31.8% in 2023, says the firm.

The average annual growth for the semiconductor industry will closely track that of the electronic systems market (about 4%-5% per year).

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