Three companies take 87% of the world’s memory-chip sales.
Every phone, laptop and AI server runs on memory chips. Out of every $100 the world spends on them, about $87 goes to just three companies. Here is what that means, in plain English, with every source.
1. Who makes the memory
Memory chips (the kind called DRAM) hold the data a device is working on right now. In April–June 2026, three companies took most of the money spent on them. Two research firms measure it a little differently, so both are shown.
| Company | Counterpoint | TrendForce |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | 38% | 39.4% |
| SK hynix | 25% | 24.9% |
| Micron | 24% | 23.3% |
| Top three | 87% | 87.6% |
| CXMT | 10% | 9.5% |
These are shares of sales (money), not of the number of chips made. [1] [2]
2. The super-fast memory next to AI chips
AI chips need a special, very fast kind of memory glued right next to them (often called HBM). In Q2 2026 the same three companies held almost all of it: about 50%, 33% and 18% (SK hynix, Samsung, Micron; rounded, so it adds to 101%). [1]
3. What happened to prices
| Date | Chip | Spot price per chip |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 2025 | DDR4 8Gb (3200) | $4.89 |
| 6 Oct 2026 | DDR4 8Gb (3200) | $46.32 |
That is about 9.5 times more for the same chip. It is one older product on the short-term market, not the price of all memory. [3] [4]
4. What could change the story
New factories, but slowly. SK hynix plans the first clean room of the second Yongin plant for June 2029. Micron’s New York plant now targets its first wafer in 2030. [5] [6]
A growing fourth player. CXMT is around 10% and moving into newer chip types. [1]
Demand. If AI spending slows before new supply arrives, a shortage can turn into too many chips. This is a scenario, not a forecast.
Sources
- Counterpoint Research, “Global DRAM and HBM market share”, Sep 2026. counterpointresearch.com
- TrendForce press release, 7 Sep 2026 (DRAM revenue ranking, Q2 2026). trendforce.com
- TrendForce, memory spot price update, 20 Aug 2025. trendforce.com
- TrendForce, memory spot price update, 7 Oct 2026 (price dated 6 Oct). trendforce.com
- SK hynix newsroom, Yongin fab investment, 2026. news.skhynix.com
- Micron Technology, Form 10-K, Sep 2026. sec.gov
Image credits
- Cover and carousel slide 1: illustration made for YosQuant.
- “Semiconductor clean room”, Aileen Devlin / Jefferson Lab from Newport News, USA, Public domain. Wikimedia Commons
- “Silicon wafer researcher”, U.S. Department of Energy, Public domain. Wikimedia Commons
- “Rear of rack at NERSC data center - closeup”, Derrick Coetzee from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC0. Wikimedia Commons
