The global inductor market was valued at USD 3.8 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 4.7 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.19% from 2020 to 2025.
This research report categorizes the global inductor market based on inductance, type, core type, shield type, mounting technique, application, vertical and geography. The report describes major drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to the inductor market and forecasts the same till 2025.
Major driving factors of the inductor market are the increasing demand for consumer electronics that require a large number of inductors and the rising adoption of electric vehicles. Recent advancements in wireless technologies such as 4G and 5G have increased the scope for electronic components in a wide range of applications in industrial and commercial sectors.
Wire-wound inductors are expected to continue to hold largest market share during forecast period
Wire-wound inductors have a core made of magnetic metals such as iron or ferrite with a wire wound around it. Unwanted radio frequencies can interfere with audio sound quality and disrupt electrical circuits. Thus, wire-wound inductors are used as they can block or filter radio frequencies. They are typically found in car audio systems and electronic control units (ECUs) and also in electronic equipment used in communication infrastructures and mobile base stations.
They are mainly used in the high-frequency circuits of mobile communication equipment, such as wireless LAN, mobile phones, broadband components, RFID tags, RF transceivers, Bluetooth, Wireless PDA, and security systems. Wire-wound inductors are larger in size and their performance is twice than that of multilayered inductors of the same size. Wire-wound inductors have the largest market share as the manufacturing costs involved are less compared with other types of inductors and they provide a high inductance value.
Air-core and Ferrite-core inductors are the fastest growing during the forecast period
An air core inductor has air inside its windings and does not depend on a ferromagnetic material to achieve its specified inductance. Its inductance is unaffected by the current it carries. These inductors are designed to perform at high frequencies of 1 GHz as ferromagnetic cores tend to have losses above 100 MHz. These inductors are used at high frequencies as they are free from energy losses, called core losses, which increase with frequency. A few of the application areas of these types of inductors are TV and radio receivers.
A ferromagnetic core uses iron or ferrite materials to increase inductance. It offers higher resistance compared with other inductor core types. Ferrite core inductors are used in surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) circuits for telecommunication, hard disks, notebook computers, and other electronic equipment. Several applications associated with ferrite core inductors are broadband transformers, noise filters, power transformers, converter and inverter transformers, and others.
Consumer Electronics vertical to hold largest market share of inductor market in 2020
Consumer electronic products are vulnerable to operational threats from voltage transients such as lightning and electro-static discharge (ESD), short circuits, or overload conditions. These products must comply with the ongoing regulatory standards for safe and energy-efficient operation, transmission, and the distribution of power/signal.
The growing demand for consumer electronics across the world, such as smartphones, tablets, portable gaming consoles, laptops, and set-top boxes is the major factor driving the demand for various inductors. The consumer electronics vertical makes the highest use of inductors. Inductors in consumer electronics are used for power supply in various complex circuits to manage current, and also, as filters in circuits to cut off undesirable frequencies. Thus, the consumer electronics vertical is expected to have the largest market share of the inductor market.
APAC is largest and fastest-growing market
The growth of the inductor market in APAC is driven mainly by the growth of the consumer electronics market in the region. APAC is witnessing dynamic changes in terms of the adoption of new technologies across various industries. As APAC has low labor costs, most of the inductors are manufactured in APAC and are exported to various regions. There is an extensive rise in the demand for power, which is increasing the need for power management and thereby, accelerating the demand for inductors.