
Contrary to SIA and WSTS figures for 2009, Gartner believes that total worldwide semiconductor revenue reached US$228.4 billion, down US$26.8 billion, or 10.5 percent, from 2008. SIA/WSTS figures were reported in February that showed revenue of US$226.3 billion, a decline of 9% from 2008 when sales were US$248.6 billion. Gartner said that this is the first time the industry has seen two consecutive years of revenue declines.
"After an unprecedented decline in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, sequential quarterly revenue growth for the industry overall was very strong in the last three quarters of 2009," said Peter Middleton, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner. "As a result, 2009 performance overall was much milder than initially feared in the aftermath of the financial crisis."
Gartner has been consistently bearish on the industry through most of 2009, though had to revise upwards its forecast several times in the year.