WASHINGTON – Worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $29.7 billion in October, up 9.6% year-over-year, and up 1.5% sequentially, says the Semiconductor Industry Association.

Sales in the Americas increased 12.2% year-over-year for the month, leading all regions.

Regionally, sequential monthly sales increased in the Americas (5.8%) and remained roughly flat in Asia Pacific (up 0.7%), Europe (down 0.1%), and Japan (down 0.6%). Compared to October 2013, sales increased in Asia Pacific (12.1%) and Europe (5.2%), but decreased in Japan by 3%.

All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

WSTS projects the industry’s worldwide sales will reach $333.2 billion in 2014, up 9% year-over-year, and predicts year-over-year increases for 2014 in Asia Pacific (11.4%), Europe (8.7%), the Americas (6.9%), and Japan (1.3%).

Beyond 2014, the industry is expected to grow steadily and moderately across all regions, says WSTS. WSTS expects 3.4% growth globally for 2015 ($344.5 billion in total sales) and 3.1% growth for 2016 ($355.3 billion).

“Year-over-year global semiconductor sales increased for the eighteenth straight month in October, and the industry is well-positioned for a
strong close to 2014,” said Brian Toohey, president and CEO of the SIA. “Sales continue to be strong across the board, with nearly all regions and product categories exhibiting increases. We expect nearly double-digit growth in 2014, followed by moderate growth in 2015 and 2016.”