Global semiconductor revenue has declined 2.6% to $299.9bn in 2012, according to a report from Gartner.
The top 25 semiconductor vendors reported a 2.8% decrease in annual revenue, and accounted for 68.9% of the industry’s total revenue, about the same as the previous year, the report revealed.
Gartner research director Steve Ohr said that the normal drivers of semiconductor industry growth – the computing, wireless, consumer electronics and automotive electronics sectors – all suffered serious disruption in 2012.
"Even the industrial/medical, wired communications and military/aerospace sectors ordinarily less affected by changes in consumer sentiment suffered severe declines in semiconductor consumption," Ohr added. "Excess inventory levels also remained a growth inhibitor."
In 2012, Intel reported 3.1% drop in revenue due to slump in PC shipments, though it continued to lead the market with a market share of 16.4% against a market share of 16.5% a year ago.
Intel was followed by Samsung, which experienced 3.1% growth in revenue and had a 9.5% market share during the year.
Qualcomm rose from sixth position in 2011 to third position in 2012 with 31.8% rise in revenue to $13.2bn, while Texas Instruments occupied fourth-place followed by Toshiba in the fifth.
