Who actually makes the world’s electronics — and where India stands
China accounts for nearly three-fifths of global digital hardware capacity. Taiwan, South Korea and Japan take another fifth between them. India is fifth at 3.8% — ahead of the United States, and only just ahead of Vietnam. Here is what that ranking measures and what it does not.
In short
- China accounts for 58.8% of global digital hardware capacity in 2024-25, according to Ember data published by Visual Capitalist.
- China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan together hold 80.5% — four countries, four-fifths of the world’s capacity.
- India is fifth at 3.8%, narrowly ahead of Vietnam at 3.6% and the United States at 2.9%.
- Germany, the largest European economy in the dataset, holds 0.7% — the same as Singapore.
- Capacity is not the same as ownership: US-headquartered firms accounted for 53.4% of global semiconductor sales in 2025, per the Semiconductor Industry Association.
Almost every phone, laptop and television in an Indian home was assembled somewhere in a very short list of countries. Four of them — China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan — account for 80.5% of the world’s digital hardware capacity. India is fifth, with 3.8%.
The figures come from Ember, charted by Visual Capitalist, and cover 2024-25. This post walks through what they show, where India sits, and the one thing the ranking is often misread as saying.
The top ten
- China — 58.8%
- Taiwan — 10.2%
- South Korea — 6.7%
- Japan — 4.8%
- India — 3.8%
- Vietnam — 3.6%
- United States — 2.9%
- Thailand — 1.3%
- Mexico — 1.2%
- Germany and Singapore — 0.7% each
The list runs to 28 countries, tailing off through Malaysia (0.6%), Brazil (0.4%) and a long group at 0.1%; the full table is on Visual Capitalist.
How concentrated this is
China’s 58.8% is almost six times Taiwan’s share and larger than every other country in the ranking put together. That is a degree of concentration you do not see in most industries, and it is why a single port closure, export restriction or tariff decision can move prices for electronics worldwide.
The other three leaders are specialists rather than generalists. Taiwan is central to semiconductor fabrication and electronics assembly, South Korea to chips and displays, and Japan to components and equipment built up over decades. Between them they hold 21.7%.
Where India sits
India’s 3.8% puts it fifth in the world and ahead of the United States. It is also, on these numbers, in a close race with Vietnam at 3.6% — the other country that has absorbed a large part of the manufacturing that moved out of China over the last decade.
Read it in proportion, though. Fifth place on 3.8% still means China has roughly fifteen times India’s capacity. The gap to the top is not the kind that closes in a year.
What the ranking does not say
This measures where hardware is MADE, not who owns the design, the brand or the profit. The clearest example is the United States: 2.9% of capacity, while US-headquartered companies accounted for 53.4% of global semiconductor sales in 2025, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. Capacity and value are two different maps.
- A capacity share says nothing about how advanced that capacity is — assembling a phone and fabricating a leading-edge chip both count as making electronics.
- It is one snapshot of 2024-25, not a trend line, so it cannot tell you who is gaining or losing.
- Country shares say nothing about the profitability of the companies operating there.
For an Indian investor
The practical point is that “electronics manufacturing” is not one business. Contract assembly, components, displays, semiconductors and distribution sit at different points of the chain, earn very different margins, and respond to different policy decisions. A number like 3.8% tells you the country is in the game; it tells you nothing about which listed company is worth owning.
You can see how the market is pricing new entrants in this area on the IPO Center — one of the three companies that listed on 23 September 2026 is a phone and electronics retail chain, which we covered in the day’s listings.
This post explains a published dataset. It is not investment advice, and CAPITA1 is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Which country makes the most electronics?
China, by a wide margin. Ember’s data for 2024-25 puts China at 58.8% of global digital hardware capacity — almost six times Taiwan’s 10.2%, and more than every other country in the ranking combined.
Where does India rank in electronics manufacturing?
Fifth, with 3.8% of global digital hardware capacity. It sits behind China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, and just ahead of Vietnam (3.6%) and the United States (2.9%).
Why is the United States so low in the ranking?
The ranking measures where hardware is physically made, not who owns the technology or books the revenue. The US holds 2.9% of capacity, while US-headquartered companies accounted for 53.4% of global semiconductor sales in 2025 (Semiconductor Industry Association).
Is India’s share growing?
This dataset is a single snapshot for 2024-25 and does not show a trend, so it cannot answer that on its own. What it does show is that India has reached fifth place and sits within touching distance of Vietnam.