WASHINGTON, DC — The 90-day average sales of semiconductors reached $25.22 billion worldwide in October, up 1.7% sequentially.

Monthly sales topped $25 billion for the first time in 2012 and remained above the seasonal growth rate in October, the Semiconductor Industry Association said.

Sales were down 2.3% year-over-year, the trade group added.

Year-to-date sales are down 3.7% from last year, but the deficit was smaller than it has been all year. Regionally, sales increased in the Americas by 8.1%, marking the region’s largest sequential monthly upsurge in the last decade.

All monthly sales numbers represent a three-month moving average.

“The global semiconductor industry has demonstrated impressive resilience this year, despite operating in a challenging global macroeconomic environment,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO, SIA. “Sales for 2012 continue to lag behind 2011 totals, but the gap has closed in recent months thanks largely to growth in the Americas. Sales for October were significantly above seasonal trends, and we expect to carry this momentum into 2013 and 2014, with moderate growth projected for both years. SIA will continue to advocate on behalf of the industry for policies that promote growth and allow the industry to flourish.”

On a regional basis, sequential monthly sales also increased in Asia Pacific (1.3%) and Europe (0.2%), but decreased 3.1% in Japan. In the Americas, combined sales from August through October grew 15.5% compared to sales from May through July.

SIA also endorsed the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization’s Autumn global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects worldwide sales will reach $290 billion in 2012 – a 3.2% decrease from 2011. WSTS projects year-over-year declines for 2012 in all four major regions: the Americas (-4.4%), Europe (-10.7%), Japan (-2.1%) and Asia Pacific (-1.4%).

Beyond 2012, the industry is expected to grow steadily and moderately across all regions, according to the WSTS forecast. WSTS predicts 4.5% growth globally for 2013 to $303 billion in total sales, and 5.2% growth in 2014 ($319 billion).