Samsung Electronics maintains No. 1 spot in global DRAM market in Q1

Lead

Samsung Electronics Co. maintained its position as the world's largest DRAM supplier in the first quarter, according to industry data from market research firm Counterpoint Research. The company accounted for 38 percent of global DRAM revenue in the January-March period, extending its lead over South Korean rival SK hynix Inc. and U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc.

Coverage Comparison

Two separate reports from Yonhap News — one published June 19 and another June 25 — together paint a picture of a memory market reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI) demand. The first focused on the explosive growth of the broader memory chip market, while the second detailed the competitive dynamics in the DRAM segment. Both relied on data from Counterpoint Research.

Key Claims

According to the June 25 report, Samsung's 38 percent share placed it well ahead of SK hynix, which came in second with 29 percent, and Micron, which held third place with 22 percent. The gap between Samsung and SK hynix widened to 9 percentage points in the first quarter, up from 4 percentage points in the previous quarter.

The report also noted that SK hynix had led the DRAM market in the first two quarters of last year, while Samsung ranked second. The two companies were tied at 33 percent in the third quarter, before Samsung regained the top position in the fourth quarter and extended its lead for a second consecutive quarter.

Although Samsung's market share declined from a year earlier, the company continued to hold a dominant position, accounting for well over one-third of total revenue, the data showed.

Separately, the June 19 report highlighted the broader growth of the global memory chip market, projecting it to more than quadruple this year from a year earlier. The market is expected to reach 1,500 trillion won (US$975 billion) in 2026, up 4.2 times from 360 trillion won in 2025. This growth is attributed to surging demand for server memory products, including DRAM and NAND flash, as tech companies, particularly in North America, ramp up investments in AI infrastructure.

Server memory products are expected to account for 56 percent of total memory revenue this year, up from 37 percent in 2025, surpassing the halfway mark for the first time. Counterpoint Research said the structural shift toward server-oriented memory products has become a key driver of growth. The firm added that widening supply-demand imbalances stemming from strong server memory demand are pushing memory prices higher, with the upward trend expected to continue through the first half of next year.