Fueled by economic recovery and the transition to a digital economy, memory IC sales are forecast to reach $180.4 billion in 2022, exceeding the previous record high set in 2018.
IC Insights recently updated its forecast for 33 major IC product categories, including DRAM and NAND flash, in its April Update to the 2021 edition of The McClean Report—A Complete Analysis and Forecast of the Integrated Circuit Industry (MR21). The updated forecast shows that after a steep drop in 2019, sales of memory ICs rebounded 15% during COVID-plagued 2020. Following up on that increase, stronger DRAM pricing is expected to lift total memory revenue 23% this year to $155.2 billion. The average selling price for DRAM jumped 8% sequentially in the first quarter of this year, and nearly all of the leading memory suppliers stated in their most recent quarterly financial presentations that they expected stronger demand in 2Q21.
