Gartner semiconductor forecast 2026 points to an AI-led surge

The global semiconductor industry is heading into a very different growth phase. The Gartner semiconductor forecast 2026 expects worldwide semiconductor revenue to reach $1.6 trillion, up 92% from $809 billion in 2025. The forecast puts 2027 revenue at $1.9 trillion.

The sharp rise is closely tied to AI infrastructure. As AI systems scale, the demand is spreading across memory, processors, networking, power management and other parts of the semiconductor stack.

AI is changing the semiconductor growth map

Gartner expects the AI data center ecosystem to account for 36.5% of semiconductor revenue in 2026, rising to more than 53% by 2030. That points to a deeper shift in the industry, with AI influencing not just demand but the mix of applications driving semiconductor value.

For technology businesses, the signal is clear: AI infrastructure is becoming a major force behind chip demand. The impact is also moving beyond a single category.

Memory demand drives a major revenue jump

Memory is expected to be the biggest contributor to 2026 growth. Memory revenue is forecast to reach $837 billion, accounting for 54% of total semiconductor revenue, compared with 27% in 2025.

The numbers are especially striking for individual memory segments. DRAM revenue is forecast to rise 246.6%, while NAND flash revenue could grow 371.9% in 2026.

Even with additional capacity expected in 2027, Gartner says supply-demand conditions are likely to remain tight as AI deployments increase memory consumption and demand for high-bandwidth memory.

Semiconductor industry trends 2026-2027 move beyond memory

AI infrastructure is also creating demand for CPUs, networking silicon, power management, analog devices and optical interconnect technologies. Excluding memory, semiconductor revenue is forecast to grow from $589 billion in 2025 to $718 billion in 2026, a 21.9% increase. Gartner expects it to reach $864 billion in 2027.

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