On a monthly basis, European semiconductor sales in December 2018 amounted to $3.466bn. This represents a 2.8% increase versus the same month in 2017; however, a slight decline of 4.9% from November 2018, in line with seasonal patterns. All growth figures are based on the latest reports by the World Trade Semiconductor Statistics (WSTS) and represent a three-month rolling average.
Looking at the European market, the main drivers of the strong 2018 growth were memory, logic, analogue and discrete products. Sales of semiconductors designed to be used in specific applications also grew steadily in 2018.
Exchange rate effects had a significant impact on the European sales picture for the total year 2018: measured in Euros, the European market increased by 7.2% in 2018 versus year 2017 and amounted to €36.382bn. Overall, the exchange rate effect amounted for a growth difference of 4.9% in the year 2018.