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The European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) announced that strong momentum in global semiconductor sales continued into the second quarter of 2026, with worldwide sales surging 123.6% year over year (YoY) to US$403.3 billion.
In the first half of 2026, worldwide semiconductor sales increased 102.3% YoY to US$701.9 billion, confirming accelerating growth in line with the forecast from World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS).
The European market also followed this trend, with sales rising 75.2% YoY in Q2 2026 to US$23.0 billion, and 61.1% in the first half of 2026 to US$41.6 billion. All figures are based on the latest WSTS report.
Growth, however, remained highly uneven across product categories. Total MOS Memory was the primary growth driver, with global sales rising 362.6% YoY in Q2 2026 and 305% in the first half of the year. In Europe, Total MOS Memory sales increased 298.9% YoY in Q2 and 243.4% in the first half.
This trend was driven by investment in AI, continued expansion of data center infrastructure, and rising demand for automotive electronics.
Other product categories, including Logic, MOS Micro and Analog, also reported healthy increases in the European market, rising 38.2%, 41.7% and 20.9%, respectively, in Q2 2026 YoY.
Regionally, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and China recorded the strongest growth in Q2, with sales increasing 160.9%, 124.4% and 112.8%, respectively, driven by robust demand for AI infrastructure and electronics, as well as continued investment in data center expansion.
Sales of application-specific chips also remained strong in Q2 2026, increasing 42.3% YoY globally and 27.2% in Europe. As in Q1, growth was largely driven by Asia-Pacific, which increased 96.7% YoY, and by a 90.1% rise in chips for computers and peripherals, again reflecting strong investment in data centers and related infrastructure.
Exchange-rate effects also influenced the European sales picture. Measured in euros, Q2 2026 sales reached €19.8 billion, up 71.1% from Q2 2025 and 24.5% from Q1 2026.
