WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductor sales reached $78.5 billion on a 90-day moving average during the first quarter, the highest-ever first quarter mark.

Global sales in March were up 11.4% from a year ago to $26.2 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. Sales were up  0.4% sequentially.

Regionally, sales in the Americas increased 16.1% compared to last March, and year-to-year sales increased across all regions. Asia Pacific was up 12.9%, Europe 8% and Japan 0.4%, marking the first time in more than three years that year-to-year sales increased across all regions.

Sales were up compared to the previous month in Europe (3.9%) Asia Pacific (1.4%) and Japan (0.3%) but down 4.3% in the Americas.

“The global semiconductor market has demonstrated consistent momentum in recent months, and sales are well ahead of last year’s pace through the first quarter of 2014,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of SIA. “Perhaps most impressively, sales in March increased across all regions and every semiconductor product category compared to last year, demonstrating the market’s broad and diverse strength.

“Although recent semiconductor sales are encouraging, one threat to the semiconductor market’s continued growth and America’s overall economic strength is the innovation deficit – the gap between needed and actual federal investments in research and higher education,” Toohey said. “Policymakers should act swiftly to close the innovation deficit by committing to robust and sustained investments in basic scientific research and higher education.”