The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced that worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $78.47 billion during the first quarter of 2014, marking the industry’s highest-ever first quarter sales. Global sales reached $26.16 billion for the month of March 2014, an increase of 11.4 percent from March 2013 when sales were $23.48 billion and a slight uptick of 0.4 percent compared to last month’s total of $26.04 billion. Regionally, sales in the Americas increased by 16.1 percent compared to last March, and year-to-year sales increased across all regions. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“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, Semiconductor Industry Association. “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.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (16.1 percent), Asia Pacific (12.9 percent), Europe (8 percent), and Japan (0.4 percent), 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 percent), Asia Pacific (1.4 percent), and Japan (0.3 percent), but down slightly in the Americas (-4.3 percent).

“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 continued. “Policymakers should act swiftly to close the innovation deficit by committing to robust and sustained investments in basic scientific research and higher education.”