Who Makes the World’s Electronics?

[Beijingwalker]

Who Makes the World’s Electronics?​

September 27, 2026 10:37 am

Key Takeaways​

• China accounts for 58.8% of global digital hardware capacity, more than all other countries combined.
• The top four countries are all in East Asia and together account for 80.5% of global capacity.
• India and Vietnam rank ahead of the U.S. in physical hardware capacity.

From semiconductors and displays to smartphones and computers, much of the hardware powering the global economy is produced in a relatively small group of countries.

This visualization ranks countries by their share of global digital hardware capacity in 2024–25. The data for this graphic comes from Ember analysis, drawing on data from SEMI, DSCC, Prismark, Counterpoint Research, TrendForce, IEA, BNEF, and GWEC.

Digital hardware includes semiconductor fabrication, displays, printed circuit boards, smartphones, computers, and related electronics manufacturing capacity.

China Accounts for Nearly Three-Fifths of Capacity​

China’s lead is enormous: its share of global digital hardware capacity is nearly six times that of second-ranked Taiwan.

In fact, China has more capacity than every other country in the dataset combined.



China’s position reflects its broad manufacturing base across finished electronics, displays, printed circuit boards, and other components.

Large-scale production networks also connect factories with dense clusters of suppliers, helping make the country a central hub for global hardware production.

China is also seeking to reinforce its electronics leadership through a new five-year plan focused on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and other strategic technologies. The plan prioritizes advances across the integrated-circuit supply chain, including chips, as Beijing seeks to reduce reliance on Western technology.

The country targets more than 30 trillion yuan (about $4.5 trillion) in operating revenue from related industries by 2030.

East Asia Forms the Core of the Electronics Supply Chain​

Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan add another 21.7% of global capacity beyond China’s share.

Each market plays a distinct role in the electronics ecosystem, with major companies including TSMC, Foxconn, Samsung, BOE, and Sony operating across the region.

Taiwan is particularly important in semiconductor fabrication and electronics assembly, while South Korea has substantial chip and display capacity.

Japan remains an important producer of electronics, components, and technologies that support the wider hardware supply chain.

India and Vietnam Lead the Next Tier​

Beyond the top four countries, electronics manufacturing capacity drops sharply.

India ranks fifth with a 3.8% share, narrowly ahead of Vietnam at 3.6%.

The U.S. follows at 2.9%. While the country remains a major force in semiconductor design and innovation, its share of physical digital hardware capacity is comparatively small.

Thailand and Mexico are the only other countries above 1%, at 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

The ranking highlights the gap between where the world’s biggest technology companies are headquartered and where their physical hardware is actually produced. While the U.S. is home to many leading technology and chip-design firms, the manufacturing capacity behind the global electronics supply chain remains heavily concentrated in Asia.

 

[Beijingwalker]

Surprising takeways

China (Mainland+Taiwan)= 70% of the world total
Japan's share is considerably smaller than South Korea, barely bigger than India.

I always thought Japan was a major player in the global electronic market.