SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Before the global pandemic took hold in the first quarter, IC Insights was forecasting a 14% increase in the total memory market in 2020. The total memory market in 2020 is now expected to be flat with 2019.

Although strong growth is expected to return to the memory market in 2021 (21%) and 2022 (29%), the total memory market is not expected to exceed the 2018 all-time high of $163.3 billion until 2022, when it is forecast to reach $171 billion, yielding a 2019-2022 CAGR of 15.7%.

A weak DRAM market put a lid on growth in the total memory market in 2015 and 2016. But robust DRAM and NAND flash market growth in 2017 and 2018 lifted the total memory market 64% and 26%, respectively. After those two outstanding growth years, the memory market reversed course in 2019, as DRAM and NAND flash sales dragged the overall memory market 32% lower to $110.4 billion.

DRAM is expected to account for 53% of the memory market in 2020, and flash memory’s share is forecast to be 45% (44% NAND flash, 1% NOR flash). Though there remains a viable market for other memory products (EEPROM, EPROM, ROM, SRAM, etc.), in the future, it is highly unlikely these segments will collectively account for much more market share than they currently do, says IC Insights.