WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $23.62 billion in April , down 1.8% year-over-year. Sales were up 60 basis points from March, the Semiconductor Industry Association added.

The numbers are based on a three-month moving average to smooth short-term volatility.

SIA projects moderate growth for the remainder of 2013 and 2014. The trade group said it supports recent third-party data that forecasts a 2.1% gain in 2013 sales, to $297.8 billion.

“With modest but steady gains in semiconductor sales in recent months and stronger growth projected for the remainder of this year and 2014, the global semiconductor industry is heading in the right direction as summer approaches, despite a stubbornly sluggish macroeconomic environment,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO. Industry sales continue to narrowly outpace 2012 totals thanks largely to strong demand for memory and logic products, and we expect to expand this growth as the year progresses.”

Regionally, sequential monthly sales increased in Asia Pacific (2%), but decreased in the Americas (-0.6%), Europe (-0.6%) and Japan (-2.9%). Compared to April 2012, sales increased in Asia Pacific (3 percent) and Europe (0.4%), but fell in the Americas (-4.4%) and Japan (-19.4%), in part due to the devaluation of the Japanese yen.

The  World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization predicts year-over-year increases in 2013 of 5.7% in Asia Pacific, 5.3% in Europe, and 1.6% in the Americas, offset in part by a decline of 13.8% in Japan.

Beyond 2013, the industry is expected to grow steadily and moderately across all regions, according to the WSTS forecast. WSTS predicts 5.1% growth globally for 2014 ($312.9 billion in total sales) and 3.8% growth for 2015 ($324.9 billion).

WSTS tabulates its semiannual industry forecast by convening an extensive group of global semiconductor companies that provide accurate and timely indicators of semiconductor trends.