WASHINGTON — Worldwide semiconductors sales rose 11.5% year-over-year in April, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported. The 90-day moving average sales were up 0.7% over the revised March numbers to $26.34 billion, the trade group added.

Sales in the Americas increased 14.7% year-over-year in April, leading all regions.

The trade group also issued a new forecast projecting continued growth for 2014 and 2015.

“The global semiconductor market maintained its strong momentum in April, with year-over-year sales increasing across every region and product category,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO. "The market remains well ahead of the pace set in 2013, which was a record year for semiconductor revenues. April marked the twelfth consecutive month that year-over-year sales have increased, and we expect that trend to continue during the remainder of 2014 and into 2015.”

Regionally, sequential monthly sales increased in Asia Pacific (1.7%) and Japan (1.1%), but decreased in Europe (0.6%) and the Americas (1.6%).

Compared to April 2013, sales increased in the Americas, Asia Pacific (12.5%), Europe (8.2%) and Japan (4.4% – the region’s largest increase in more than three years).

Additionally, SIA endorsed the WSTS Spring 2014 global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects the industry’s worldwide sales will reach $325.4 billion in 2014, a 6.5% increase from 2013. This reflects a increase from the WSTS Fall 2013 forecast, which projected 4.1% growth in 2014.

WSTS now predicts year-over-year increases for 2014 in Asia Pacific (9.3%), Europe (7.9%), and the Americas (2.1%), with a slight decline projected for Japan (down 1.3%).

Beyond 2014, the industry is expected to grow steadily and moderately across all regions, according to the WSTS forecast. WSTS predicts 3.3% growth globally for 2015, to $336.1 billion in total sales, and 4.3% growth for 2016 (to $350.5 billion).