TrendForce estimated on April 25, 2022, that Taiwan would account for about 48% of global foundry production capacity, measured in 12-inch-equivalent wafers, during 2022. That was a forecast of wafer-making capacity located in Taiwan—not a measure of TSMC’s revenue, Taiwan’s share of semiconductor sales, or the share of all chip manufacturing.
What did the 48% figure measure?
The estimate covered global foundry production capacity on a 12-inch-equivalent wafer basis. Foundries manufacture chips for customers, and the capacity figure describes how much production capability was located in a region. It does not say how much output was actually produced or sold.
The geography matters: TrendForce was measuring capacity in Taiwan, not all capacity owned by Taiwanese companies. A Taiwanese company’s factory in another country would not count as capacity located in Taiwan.
How is capacity different from revenue or market share?
Capacity is a measure of potential production capability; revenue measures money earned, and market share depends on the market and metric being discussed. TrendForce separately reported that Taiwan had 64% of foundry market share and 26% of global semiconductor revenue in 2021. Those are different measures from the 48% capacity forecast, so the figures should not be substituted for one another.
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Was Taiwan’s share higher for advanced processes?
Yes. In the same April 2022 estimate, TrendForce put Taiwan’s share of global 12-inch capacity for processes at 16 nanometers and below at 61%. That is a narrower category than total foundry capacity and indicates a greater concentration of advanced-process capacity in Taiwan in the forecast.
Why did TrendForce expect Taiwan to remain central?
TrendForce named TSMC, UMC, Vanguard and PSMC as important Taiwanese foundries. It pointed to the island’s talent, geographic convenience and integrated semiconductor cluster, which includes materials and equipment suppliers as well as wafer production, packaging, testing, brands and distribution.
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Taiwanese companies had announced expansions in the United States, China, Japan and Singapore. However, TrendForce said that key advanced-node expansion, including TSMC’s N3 and N2, remained focused in Taiwan at the time. The distinction is between companies expanding internationally and the location of important advanced-process capacity in that 2022 picture.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was the 2025 projection—and what can it tell us?
TrendForce projected that Taiwan’s share of local foundry capacity would decline to 44% by 2025 as Taiwanese companies expanded abroad. This was a projection published in 2022, not a verified 2025 outcome. It suggested expected diversification, but does not establish how much capacity was ultimately built or operated.
The 48% figure should likewise be described as a contemporaneous 2022 estimate, not as a measured final result or a current share. The available figures do not provide an independently published realized 2022 total or fab-by-fab wafer-throughput data.
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