The ongoing shortage of memory chips looks likely to continue throughout the year as demand from the AI sector surges. According to Nikkei Asia, leading manufacturers are expected to be able to meet only about 60% of global demand despite expansion plans.

Although new factories are on the way, several of them are not expected to reach full production until 2027 at the earliest. Even once those facilities are up and running, additional time will be required to scale up to efficient production levels.

An annual production increase of around 12% would be needed to catch up with demand, analysts said, though current plans are significantly lower. The balance between supply and demand for memory is not expected to normalize until 2028.

Because of the shortage, memory prices have risen by approximately 90% during the first quarter of 2026.