 Cost has plummeted over time, with the cheapest 8-bit microcontrollers being available for under in 2018, and some 32-bit microcontrollers around US$1 for similar quantities.In 2012, following a global crisis—a worst ever annual sales decline and recovery and average sales price year-over-year plunging 17%—the biggest reduction since the 1980s—the average price for a microcontroller was US$0.88 ($0.69 for 4-/8-bit, $0.59 for 16-bit, $1.76 for 32-bit).In 2012, worldwide sales of 8-bit microcontrollers were around $4 billion, while 4-bit microcontrollers also saw significant sales.