Semiconductor Sales Surge in April, AI and Cloud Drive Growth

The global semiconductor market continues its impressive run in 2025, with April marking yet another month of steady growth. According to the latest data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), worldwide semiconductor sales reached $57.0 billion in April, a 2.5% increase over March’s $55.6 billion and a remarkable 22.7% jump compared to April 2024, when sales totaled $46.4 billion.

The numbers, compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and endorsed by the SIA, confirm that the industry’s momentum shows no sign of slowing. The WSTS collects monthly sales data using a three-month moving average to account for fluctuations and provide a clearer picture of market trends. The SIA itself represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry’s revenue and about two-thirds of non-U.S. chipmakers, making these figures a reliable barometer for the entire sector.

“April marked the first month-over-month growth for global semiconductor sales in 2025,” said John Neuffer, SIA’s President and CEO. “Year-over-year sales growth remains robust, driven largely by the booming demand in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. The latest WSTS forecast anticipates strong market expansion fueled by the accelerating demand for AI, cloud infrastructure, and next-generation consumer electronics.”

Regional Market Highlights

The regional breakdown of sales reveals where this growth is most pronounced:

• Americas: Year-over-year sales surged by an astonishing 44.4% — the strongest performance among all regions.
• Asia-Pacific (excluding China and Japan): Notched a 23.1% increase.
• China: Posted a solid 14.4% rise.
• Japan: Saw a 4.3% uptick.
• Europe: Registered marginal growth of 0.1% compared to April 2024.
• On a month-to-month basis, however, the picture was a little more nuanced:

China led the gains with a 5.5% increase in April sales.

• Asia-Pacific followed closely with a 5.3% rise.
• Europe inched up by 0.5%.
• Japan experienced a 0.6% increase.
• Americas was the outlier, with a modest 1.1% decrease compared to March.

Forecast: Strong Double-Digit Growth Ahead

Looking ahead, the WSTS Spring 2025 forecast projects a healthy 11.2% annual growth rate for the global semiconductor market, predicting total sales will hit $700.9 billion by year’s end. For 2026, the outlook remains optimistic, with sales expected to reach $760.7 billion.

This sustained growth comes as no surprise given the pivotal role semiconductors play in powering modern technology — from AI accelerators and cloud infrastructure to 5G networks and high-performance consumer devices. The WSTS gathers data directly from semiconductor companies, ensuring timely and accurate indicators of the industry’s direction.

Industry Insight: AI and Cloud Infrastructure as Key Catalysts

A deeper look at the current market dynamics reveals that AI chip demand is one of the primary drivers behind this surge. Major tech companies are ramping up their investments in AI datacenters to train large language models and deploy generative AI services for businesses and consumers alike. For example, Nvidia’s AI-focused GPU sales have seen record-breaking quarters, while companies like Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are aggressively positioning their next-gen AI accelerators for cloud providers and edge devices.

Additionally, global cloud infrastructure spending is projected to grow by 17.5% in 2025, according to a recent Gartner report — further boosting demand for data-center-grade semiconductors. As AI-powered services become increasingly embedded in everyday applications, from real-time translation to advanced healthcare analytics, the underlying hardware demand continues to intensify.

With AI and cloud trends converging, the semiconductor market’s current upswing appears poised to extend well into 2026 and beyond.