Global Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Product Type (COG (NPO), X7R, X5R, Y5V), By End-Use Industry (Telecommunication, Communication and Technology, Defense and Aviation, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Automotive, Power and Energy), And Geography - Forecasts From 2025 To 2030

Description

The Global Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market is expected to grow from USD 14.255 billion in 2025 to USD 18.694 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 5.57%.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Introduction

The Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market is growing as a key segment of the larger electronics market. These are thin, stacked alternating layers of metallic and ceramic, having key applications in consumer electronics, ADAS, automotive, EVs, infotainment systems, and others for noise suppression, power supply decoupling, signal filtering, and energy storage. The market is experiencing significant growth due to high growth in consumer electronics, increasing market penetration of consumer electronics, rising adoption of EVs, and growth in automotive electronics.

Multi-layer ceramic capacitors are the essential ingredients for modern electronic systems as they offer remarkable performance and dependability while being cost-efficient. Multi-layer ceramic capacitors are monolithic devices consisting of laminated layers of dielectric materials combined with a metal electrode system. This layered formation is baked at high temperatures to fabricate a highly efficient conductance device. The connection is then established by integrating a conductive termination barrier system at the exposed ends of the chip. MLCCs show high-frequency characteristics, offer extremely low equivalent series resistance (ESR), and are very reliable. The MLCC market is witnessing a high technological advancement, resulting in increasing demand originating from the electronics sector.

The multi-layer ceramic capacitor has its applications in sectors such as telecommunication, consumer electronics, data processing, DVDs, Game PCs, and general electric circuits, among others. Integration of MLCCs in smart televisions and LEDs will strengthen the global MLCC market growth over the next five years. On the basis of geography, the multi-layer ceramic capacitor market is segmented into North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, and South America. Asia Pacific will account for a significant share of the global MLCC market during the forecast period on account of increasing demand for consumer electronics and the presence of a large number of manufacturers in the region.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Overview

Multilayer ceramic capacitors are thinly stacked alternating layers of metallic electrodes and dielectric ceramic. They are passive electronic components that store and release electrical energy. They are small, highly reliable, and excellent for filtering noise and smoothing power supply voltages. The market refers to the production, distribution, and application of multilayer ceramic capacitors. It has key applications in consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, industrial equipment, and medical devices for noise suppression, power supply decoupling, signal filtering, and energy storage.

As there is a growing trend towards miniaturization of electronic devices, growth in automotive electronics such as EVs and ADAS, expansion of 5G networks, and increasing adoption of IoT devices, it is creating a key critical demand in the global electronics market. Thus, growth in demand for electronics and rising trends in electronics are shaping the kind of MLCC needed, driving the market growth.

For example, there is a significant growth in electric vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, which requires a larger number of MLCCs compared to traditional cars. This is for maintaining stability and reliability at high temperatures in EVs and managing fast signal processing and power stability in ADAS applications such as radar, LiDAR, cameras, and infotainment. With the rapid growth of EV adoption worldwide (as per the IEA, electric car sales reached 17 million worldwide in 2024, from 13.7 million in 2023), there is a large demand for MLCCs.

The market is experiencing key product innovations to align with the changing application requirements. The growing demand for miniaturization and key growth in demand for automotive electronics for EVs, ADAS, and infotainment, the market product is also changing its characteristics with innovations in the product.

The Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) market is a highly consolidated to moderately consolidated market. It has a small number of major players who are dominating the market in terms of scale and innovation. As this is a capital-intensive and advanced technology market, major players are dominant, creating a high barrier to entry for small players. There is a presence of some emerging or niche players, who are struggling to compete due to a lack of economies of scale and innovation. Major market players include Murata, Samsung, TDK Corporation, and Taiyo Yuden, each holding a major market share. At the same time, there are other key players as well, such as Kyocera, AVX, Vishay, Walsin, and others. Besides, the market is highly competitive, fuelled by rapid product line announcements and technological advancements. Companies are competing on product quality, miniaturization, strengthening market penetration across end-use industries, and on innovation.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Trends

The MLCC market is experiencing significant growth, driven by advancements in ceramic capacitor technology and increasing demand across various industries. MLCC miniaturization is a key trend, enabling compact designs for smartphones, wearables, and MLCC for IoT applications. These ultra-small capacitors, such as the 008004 case size (0.2×0.1×0.1 mm), allow for higher component density without sacrificing performance, critical for space-constrained devices.

The rise of high-capacitance MLCC is transforming electronics, particularly in MLCC for 5G infrastructure, where high-frequency performance and reliability are essential. These capacitors support rapid data transmission in 5G networks, with global base stations nearing 10 million in 2024. Similarly, automotive-grade MLCC demand is surging due to the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), requiring 8,000–10,000 MLCCs per EV for power management and signal integrity.

High-temperature and nickel MLCCs are gaining traction for their durability in harsh environments, such as automotive powertrains and industrial automation. Innovations in the MLCC manufacturing process, including the use of nickel-based base metal electrodes, have reduced costs and improved scalability. However, the MLCC supply chain faces challenges from raw material price volatility, particularly for nickel and palladium, and geopolitical disruptions. Despite these hurdles, strategic investments in production facilities, like Kyocera’s new plant in Japan, are strengthening supply chains to meet growing demand.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Dynamics

Market Drivers:

Expansion of 5G Infrastructure
The development of 5G infrastructure in India will be a major growth driver for MLCC consumption in the telecom segment. On 1st October 2022, the government of India commenced allowing 5G services upon the release of the spectrum auction process conducted in August 2022. The deployment increased considerable traction quickly in its rollout, and by late 2024, service was being offered in 779 out of the 783 districts of the country. This process included more than 460,000 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) being rolled out (295,000 of them were implemented in the Fiscal year 2023-24. The sum was a rapid, continuous, and sustained deployment of hardware largely based on MLCCs for power conditioning, signal filtering, stability of frequency, and space savings in congested PCBs.

This confluence of pro-democracy regulatory policy and massive physical rollout of new technology creates a very predictable, high-demand floor for components like MLCCs. Each new 5G base station installation requires a sizable amount of capacitors to provide the electrical performance. When this current activity is broken down to the granular level - hundreds of thousands of new base stations in just over a year - the conclusion is millions of MLCCs entering the supply chain to be useful in the engagement segment. Quality is as important as quantity. The densification of the network infrastructure means that the number of components will increase while also raising the strain on these components from increased frequency, increased thermal loads, or both. As a result, MLCCs will need to be reliable, compact, low equivalent series resistance (ESR), and stable in response to RF stress. Government programs providing funding for the domestic development of 5G stacks, 5G test beds, and assistance through programs such as the Telecom Technology Development Fund and Defence Capability Initiatives Scheme will also drive demand for domestic equipment manufacturing. This demand supports collaborative development relationships with both local and global suppliers of sophisticated MLCCs.

India's policy framework and holistic rollout have the potential to shape a structural and long-term increase in MLCC demand. The combination of large numbers of new base station installations, streamlined infrastructure processes and systems, and a push to incorporate local technology will all help ensure that MLCCs are a vital component in every facet of the telecom hardware ecosystem.

The comprehensive increase in broadband subscribers to 944 million in March 2025, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Annual Report for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 (TRAI, 2025), supports the notion of expanding digital presence and growing data consumption. With this expansion, network operators must reinforce their infrastructures. More broadband subscriptions result in increased demand for more complex telecom equipment to support base stations, routers, and servers with more advanced electrical build architectures. These systems rely on enormous numbers of MLCCs for signal filtering, power regulation, and frequency stabilisation. As networks densify, further supported by an expanding user base and greater data traffic, MLCCs will be in proportionate demand, making the growth of broadband a direct relationship to the expansion of the MLCC market.

• MLCC Miniaturization for Compact Electronics
  The push for MLCC miniaturization is a significant driver in the MLCC market, driven by the demand for smaller, high-performance electronic devices such as smartphones, wearables, and IoT devices. Manufacturers like Murata and Samsung Electro-Mechanics are developing ultra-small MLCCs, such as 0201-inch and 0402-inch sizes, to fit dense circuit designs without compromising performance. These capacitors offer high capacitance in compact packages, enabling sleeker devices with enhanced functionality. The trend aligns with consumer preferences for lightweight, portable electronics and supports advanced technologies like 5G, where space-efficient components are critical for high-frequency signal processing. For instance, miniaturized MLCCs are essential in IoT applications for low-power, space-constrained circuits, ensuring reliable connectivity in smart devices. This drive for smaller components fuels continuous innovation in ceramic capacitor technology, with manufacturers refining dielectric materials and electrode designs to maximize capacitance while reducing size, thus expanding market demand across consumer electronics and telecommunications sectors.
• Demand for Automotive-Grade MLCC in Electric Vehicles
  The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) significantly boosts the MLCC market, particularly for automotive-grade MLCC. EVs require 8,000 to 10,000 MLCCs per vehicle compared to 3,000 in conventional vehicles, driven by complex electronics in powertrains, battery management, and infotainment systems. These capacitors must withstand high voltages, vibrations, and extreme temperatures, making high-temperature MLCC critical for reliability. For example, Kyocera’s MLCCs for EVs offer enhanced thermal stability up to 150°C, ensuring performance in harsh conditions. The global shift toward electrification, supported by government policies like India’s railway electrification by 2025, increases demand for robust MLCCs. Additionally, ADAS integration relies on MLCC for stable power management and sensor interfacing, further driving market growth. This trend underscores the need for durable, high-performance capacitors tailored to automotive applications, cementing their role in modern vehicle electronics.

Market Restraints:

• MLCC Supply Chain Disruptions
  The MLCC supply chain faces significant challenges that restrain market growth, primarily due to raw material shortages and geopolitical tensions. MLCC production relies on materials like nickel and barium titanate, which are subject to price volatility and supply disruptions. For instance, reliance on specific countries like Japan and China for these materials creates vulnerabilities, as seen during past shortages that delayed production by up to six months. Geopolitical issues, such as trade restrictions, further complicate sourcing, impacting manufacturers like Yageo and Taiyo Yuden. These disruptions increase costs and limit the ability to meet surging demand, particularly for automotive-grade MLCC and MLCC for 5G. Additionally, the complexity of the MLCC manufacturing process, involving precise layering and sintering, exacerbates delays when supply chains falter, hindering market scalability and affecting industries dependent on timely capacitor availability.
• Complexity of MLCC Manufacturing Process
  The intricate MLCC manufacturing process poses a significant restraint due to its technical complexity and high costs. Producing MLCCs involves stacking up to 600 layers of ceramic capacitor technology and nickel electrodes, requiring advanced lamination techniques and precision equipment. This complexity increases with the miniaturization of MLCC, as ultra-thin dielectric layers (as low as 0.5μm) demand sophisticated processes to maintain performance. Smaller sizes also risk issues like cracking under mechanical or thermal stress, necessitating costly soft-termination solutions. Only large manufacturers like Murata and TDK can afford the R&D and equipment for such processes, limiting market entry for smaller players. These technical challenges raise production costs, impacting profitability and slowing innovation, particularly for high-temperature MLCC and high-capacitance variants needed for advanced applications like EVs and 5G infrastructure.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Segmentation Analysis

By Product Type: X7R
By product type, the global MLCC market is segmented into C0G (NOP), X7R, X5R, Y5V, and Z5U. X7R dielectric is unique for multilayer ceramic capacitors in its ability to balance size, high capacitance, and reliable performance. This dielectric operates in a wide temperature range, -55 °C to +125 °C, with a maximum capacitance shift of ±15% across this range. With this combination of tolerance and thermal range, X7R is very suitable for many decoupling applications in modern active circuits, where stable power is required for functionality during thermal deviations from ambient conditions.

Prominent MLCC manufacturers ensure that high-power smartphones and tablets, or telecommunication manufacturers, use X7R because the capacitance is high, where size is limited in modern applications. This is likely why there are 10 µF to 100 µF rated parts with X7R dielectrics in package sizes of 0805 or smaller. While C0G provides high accuracy, it has limited capacitance in larger packages. In contrast, X7R provides greater volume seismic capacitance, enabling the development of small form factor or miniaturized electronics.

The uptake of X7R has been tremendous because it is in a new spot: wide temperature range, very high capacitance, and small size, exactly what people need in power electronics in telecom, communication devices, industrial controllers, and automotive systems today.

MLCC suppliers and even equipment designers think almost exclusively of “small, low cost, reliable” when they think of X7R. Its prevalence powers keep-alive circuits, power rail stabilisation circuits, and noise decoupling circuits in all major end-user sectors from telecom, to defence, to healthcare, to automotive. This new technology, ranging from handhelds to telecom base stations, relies on X7R MLCC to the same extent as it relies on any other building block.

By Geography: North America, particularly the US
The growing adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles, coupled with advanced driver-assistance systems integration in the United States automotive industry, is a major growth driver for MLCC products. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric car sales in the country increased by about 40 percent to account for 1.3 million units in 2023, while sales for 2024 were 1.6 million units.

This will lead to demand for MLCC for applications in power conversion, management of battery management, and in infotainment systems. The growing investment by regional automakers, like General Motors and Tesla, in electric vehicles can also contribute to the innovation of MLCC in the country to align with the growing demand of automakers.

This is followed by the increase in rollout of 5G networks in the country, along with advancement in telecommunication infrastructure, leading to the requirement for stable MLCCs to offer high-frequency consistency for base stations, data centers, devices, and routers. For instance, according to the data from the GSMA report titled ‘The Mobile Economy North America 2024’, the country’s 5G technology was 59 percent in 2023, which is predicted to increase to value for 94 percent by 2030.

Moreover, the adoption of smartphones in the country was 85 percent in 2023, which is forecasted to grow to 89 percent by 2030, as per the same source. This surge in smartphones, including other consumer electronics like wearables, laptops, and other smart home devices, will lead to innovation and miniaturization, promoting the need for compact MLCC designs.

Moreover, the modernization of the country’s power and energy industry has increased significantly, with the deployment of smart meters. For instance, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), reported that approximately 119 million smart metering infrastructures were installed in 2022.

Along with government initiatives towards smart grid, such as Smart Grid Grants, which include U.S. Department of Energy funding of $2 billion for 38 smart grid projects announced in October 2024, these necessitate MLCC for energy management in the country.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Competitive Landscape:

Multi-layer ceramic capacitor market is highly competitive due to the presence of well-diversified international, regional, and local players. However, some big international players dominate the market share owing to the enormous investment and better market penetration. With a high market growth rate and an increase in demand, the sector is attracting new entrants, resulting in a more competitive MLCC market. The competitive landscape provides the strategy and investment details to boost their presence.

Some of the key players of the multi-layer ceramic capacitor market included in the report are Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Vishay Intertechnology, Johanson Dielectrics, Inc., AVX Corporation, Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd, Future Electronics, Kemet, TDK Corporation, and AFM Microelectronics Inc., among others.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) Market Key Developments

• In February 2025, Samsung Electro-Mechanics launched the world’s first highest voltage and ultra-small MLCC in a 1005 size for Autonomous driving (CL05Y225KP66PN). It is designed to keep a stable power supply and signal transmission to autonomous driving semiconductors, especially in the LiDAR systems market. This highlights the growing product innovation towards high-performing sectors, automotive electronics.
• In 2025, Murata company-initiated the world's first mass production of a 47µF MLCC with enhanced high-temperature reliability for compact devices.
• In July 2024, Kyocera AVX expanded its line of KAM Series automotive MLCCs with the addition of 20 new components. They are compact and lightweight surface-mount components that minimize board space requirements and deliver high capacitance values, helping the electric vehicle (EV), advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), and automated driving system (ADS) designs.

The multi-layer ceramic capacitor market has been segmented on the basis of product type, end-user industry, and geography.

• By Product Type
  • C0G (NPO)
  • X7R
  • X5R
  • Y5V
  • Z5U
• By End-User Industry
  • Telecommunication
  • Communication and Technology
  • Defense and Aviation
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Automotive
  • Power and Energy
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Middle East and Africa
  • Asia Pacific

Table Of Contents

Companies Profiled

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. 

TDK Corporation 

Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. 

Yageo Corporation 

Walsin Technology Corporation 

Kyocera AVX Components Corporation 

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. 

Johanson Dielectrics, Inc. 

NIC Components Corp. 

Kyocera Corporation 

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