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October 20, 2016 — The world market for printed circuit boards (PCBs) reached an estimated $58.6 billion in value in 2015 according to IPC’s  World PCB Production Report for the Year 2015.This represents a nominal decrease of 2.7 percent from 2014, but factoring out the effects of exchange rate fluctuations, the growth of PCB output was actually up 2.0 percent in real terms.

According to the report, real growth in the value of PCB production in 2015 was up in most regions of the world in 2015. In the Americas, the industry experienced a decline with real growth of -2.7 percent. Asia now accounts for 91 percent of world PCB production. The world PCB market in 2016 is expected to continue experiencing slow growth in real terms.

Developed by a team of the world's leading PCB industry analysts, the annual study is the definitive source of PCB production data. It includes estimates of the value of PCB production in 11 product categories in each of the world’s major PCB-producing countries and regions.Data within the report show that the worldwide flexible circuit growth far outpaced rigid PCB production, which decreased. The report also contains commentary on regional industry trends and historical data on PCB production worldwide.

“Generally slow growth in the worldwide electronics market is expected for the next few years, but some segments of the industry are outpacing others,” says Sharon Starr, IPC director of market research. “The markets for mobile devices and automotive electronics are seen as high-growth segments. These markets, along with the growing demand for interconnected devices and wearable electronics, are expected to keep the PCB industry growing faster than the economy.”

World PCB Production Report for the Year 2015is available to IPC members for $475; the price for nonmembers is $950. For more information or to purchase the report, visit www.ipc.org/2015WorldPCB. For information on IPC market research programs, visit www.ipc.org/IndustryData or contact IPC’s market research team at +1 847-597-2868 or marketresearch@ipc.org.